Ariel Shafir to Lead Robert O'Hara's Reimagined MACBETH in Denver; Cast, Creatives Announced!

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) has announced the full cast and creative team for the Theatre Company's first production of the 2017/18 season, Robert O'Hara's raw and reimagined version of Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Known for his audacious artistic vision, O'Hara has directed around the country and has been credited with"shaking up the world, one audience at a time" (The New York Times). He has won the NAACP Best Director Award, the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play, two OBIE Awards and the Oppenheimer Award.

In preparing for the production, director O'Hara was struck by Banquo's lines in Act 1 Scene 3 referencing the witches, "You should be women, And yet your beards forbid me to interpret That you are so,"

"That inherent contradiction stuck in my head," said O'Hara. "And right then I was like, 'Well maybe they're not women. Maybe they are men!' " That moment of inspiration opened up the door for a concept told from the point of view of the supernatural, specifically a warlock coven recreating the tale of Macbeth."

"People have asked me, 'What will an all-male Macbeth do to the story?'" says O'Hara. "I tell them, 'I hope it will do exactly what Shakespeare's work should always do - give some insight into the world in which we are living today.'"

The production will feature Rob Fenton (Malcolm/Ensemble), Kim Fischer (Second Warlock/Ensemble), Thaddeus Fitzpatrick (Third Warlock/Ensemble), Keith D. Gallagher (Seyton/Ensemble), Skyler Gallun (Donalbain/Ensemble), Joel Reuben Ganz (Macduff/Ensemble), Joe Goldammer (First Warlock/Ensemble), Steven Cole Hughes (Doctor of the Psychic/Ensemble), Alec Hynes (Banquo/Ensemble), Erik Kochenberger (Hecate Two/Ensemble), Daniel Kyri (Lady Macduff/Ensemble), Jesse Pennington (Rosse/Ensemble), Adam Poss (Lady Macbeth/Ensemble), Gareth Saxe (Duncan/Ensemble), Ariel Shafir (Macbeth/Ensemble), Travis Turner (Lennox/Ensemble), and Danny Zuhlke (Fleance/Ensemble).

Macbeth will include designs by Jason Sherwood (Scenic Designer), Dede M. Ayite (Costume Designer), Alex Jainchill (Lighting Designer), and Lindsay Jones (Original Music and Sound Designer) with dramaturgy by Douglas Langworthy, vocal and dialect coaching by Kathryn G. Maes, and stage management by Kurt Van Raden (Stage Manager) and D. Lynn Reiland (Assistant Stage Manager).

Macbeth also marks the reopening of the newly renovated Space Theatre. The nearly 40-year-old venue was completely rebuilt in 2017 to enhance the world-class experience for audiences and artists alike.

IF YOU GO:

Macbeth

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Robert O'Hara

September 15 - October 29, 2017

The Space Theatre

Tickets now available at DenverCenter.org.

Forget what you know about Shakespeare's brutal tragedy. Director Robert O'Hara breathes new life (and death) into this raw reimagining for the grand reopening of our in-the-round Space Theatre.

To get what he wants, Macbeth will let nothing stand in his way - not the lives of others or his own well-being. As his obsession takes command of his humanity and his sanity, the death toll rises and his suspicions mount. This ambitious reinvention reminds us that no matter what fate is foretold, the man that chooses to kill must suffer the consequences.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is the largest non-profit theatre organization in the nation, presenting Broadway tours and producing theatre, cabaret, musicals, and innovative, multimedia plays. Last season the DCPA engaged with more than 1.2 million visitors, generating a $150 million economic impact in ticket sales alone. Additionally, DCPA Education serves more than 105,000 students of all ages and skill levels through classes, in-school programs, matinees and audience engagement opportunities. Follow the DCPA on social media @DenverCenter and through the Denver Center for the Performing Arts News Center.