OCPS And Orlando Shakes Join Forces To Bring MACBETH To More Students

Field trip performances of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, produced by Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF, sold out within minutes of going on sale. In order to reach more students in the community, Orange County Public Schools is providing Orlando Shakes with the opportunity to use Boone High School's new, 852-seat auditorium. Boone students will see Orlando Shakes' production first at a special Halloween-day performance. Three other performance dates are available to other OCPS schools at a cost per student with bus transportation provided by OCPS.

In addition to reaching a wider audience, Orlando Shakes' professional techs will give select Boone theater students the opportunity to shadow their roles during a performance. This unique collaboration will provide a one-of-a-kind, hands-on learning experience.

"OCPS is extremely fortunate to have Arts Partners like the Orlando Shakes that help to provide students with high-quality community-based arts experiences," says Scott Evans, Senior Director, Visual and Performing Arts for OCPS. "Partnering with Orlando Shakes allows us to bring a professional Shakespeare production to an even wider audience of high school students. As a result of this partnership, high schoolers will experience Shakespeare's Macbeth the way it was meant to be experienced: with world-class artists performing live on the stage of the beautiful new auditorium at Boone High School. Our students will walk away with a deeper understanding of the complex text associated with the works of William Shakespeare, and a field trip to remember for the rest of their lives."

"Something wicked this way comes." Experience a visually striking, modern production of Shakespeare's Scottish play, featuring an arresting design, bold costumes, and modern choreography. Blind ambition and twisted prophesy lead Macbeth to murder the Scottish king and seize the throne. An impulse for destruction and a loose grip on sanity define Lord and Lady Macbeth's foothold on power that can only end in tragedy.

"I had a tremendous theater teacher who taught me Lady M's first monologue in the play, 'Glamis thou art...' Little did I know that this introduction would lead to two productions of this play in my professional career," says Lucy Lavely*, who portrays Lady Macbeth in the production. "I am dyslexic, and couldn't wrap my mind around understanding any text but Shakespeare's. The magic that lies in the gravity of the words and the heart beat rhythm of the language spoke very clearly to me, and yet I couldn't pass a simple spelling test! My teachers could not understand how I could memorize a Shakespeare monologue, but not be able to comprehend a simple contemporary reading exercise, but I never stopped listening to my heart's desire, and here I am!"

The cast features Christian Ryan* as Macbeth & Ensemble, Lucy Lavely* as Lady Macbeth & Ensemble, Jak Watson as Macduff & Ensemble, Kenny Babel* as Duncan & Ensemble, Walter Kmiec as Banquo & Ensemble, Robert Johnston* as Malcolm & Ensemble, Suzanne O'Donnell* as Ross & Ensemble, Lorena Cohea as Lady Macduff & Ensemble, Johnathan Arvelo as Lennox & Ensemble, and Cameron Gray as First Murderer & Ensemble.

The artistic team includes Director & Sound Designer Irwin Appel, Choreographer & Mask Designer Christina McCarthy, Scenic Designer & Costume Designer Ann Sheffield**, Lighting Designer Kevin Griffin**, Fight Director Tony Simotes, Fight Captain Kenny Babel*, Dance Captain Jak Watson, and AEA Stage Manager George Hamarah*.

*Member of Actors' Equity Association
**Member of United Scenic Artists

Public performances of Macbeth run at Orlando Shakes through November 24. Tickets start at $30. For more information, please contact the Box Office at 407-447-1700 ext 221 or boxoffice@orlandoshakes.org.

If it were a movie, Macbeth would be rated "PG-13". Children under 5 will not be admitted to the theater. For the complete content advisory, please visit: orlandoshakes.org/content-advisories/

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