Something Wicked This Way Comes to Park Square Theatre

Park Square continues its 42nd season on the Andy Boss Stage with a new adaptation of Macbeth, adapted and directed by Jef Hall-Flavin. Following the recent success of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet, the timeless tragedy of palace intrigue and power grabs continues Park Square's new tradition of reinventing Shakespeare's canon for modern audiences.

"Every time I direct a classic play, I always have to ask, 'why now?' and what scares me about the play is how belief trumps morality," says director and adaptor Jef Hall-Flavin. "Macbeth's faith in the prophecy that he will become King somehow gives him permission to create his own moral code and commit acts of murder. To me, that's the definition of theocracy, and it's the scariest notion in the play. After studying some original printings of the text, I discovered that the witches are most often referred to as 'sisters.' So in our production, we present not sorcery, but religion as the key to the destructive impulses in the play. It's amazing to me that Shakespeare's 400-year-old language speaks to the political climate with such brutal parallels."

Macbeth (Michael Ooms*) schemes and murders his way to the throne. Set against a shattered mirror, this taut production reveals leadership derailed by self-absorption, equivocation, and seeing things that aren't really there.Tempted by the prophecies of three wayward sisters, Macbeth's aim to be King of Scotland compels him into a nightmarish realm of evil, deceit, and murder. Monstrous actions run rampant as he and Lady Macbeth give in to unstoppable drives of savagery and political atrocity.

The original House of Cards, Macbeth is among Shakespeare's most enduring tragedies, as it investigates the motivations and mayhem at the heart of power-grabbing. Shakespeare's unnerving tragedy begins and ends with ferocious battles, supernatural horrors, and famously gorgeous poetry.

Macbeth features Gabriele Angieri, Neal Beckman, Laura Esping*, Garry Geiken*, Guillermo Rodriguez, Naveh Shavit-Lonstein, Eric Sumangil*, Vanessa Wasche*.

The production team for Macbeth includes Sarah Bahr (Costume Designer), Michael P. Kittel (Lighting Designer),Evan Middlesworth (Sound and Music), and Joseph Stanley (Set Designer).

Macbeth Performance Schedule: Previews begin Friday, March 17, and continue through Thursday, March 23. March 24 is Opening Night, and the run continues through April 9, with additional performances for student matinees.Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. except for Saturday and Sunday matinees, which begin at 2 p.m. All performances are on the company's Andy Boss Thrust Stage in Saint Paul's historic Hamm Building, 20 W. Seventh Place.

Ticket prices: Previews: $27 and $37. Regular Run: $40 and $60. Discounts are available for seniors, those under age 30, and groups. Tickets are on sale at the Park Square ticket office, 20 W. Seventh Place, or by phone: 651.291.7005, (12 noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday), or online at www.parksquaretheatre.org.

*Member, Actors Equity Association

CALENDAR INFORMATION

Previews: Mar 17-23

Opening Night: Mar 24

Run: Mar 25-Apr 9 (plus student matinees through May 5)

Tickets: Previews: $27/$37; Regular Run: $40/$60

PARK SQUARE THEATRE, 20 W. Seventh Place, Saint Paul

Ticket office: 651-291-7005 or www.parksquaretheatre.org