By Dominic Macasiray ‘20
The theater department has taken it upon themselves to put on what people consider a world-renowned classic, William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Mr. Marcel will be directing this year’s fall drama with Mr. Carlson running theater tech by his side.
Mr. Marcel prides himself in being familiar with the Macbeth story. Having acted, directed, and taught the play numerous times, he wants to take this play above and beyond.
“My mantra for approaching this show has been ‘fast, dark, and bloody’. The witches will be creepy, the ghost scenes will be cool, and the swordfights will be awesome and gruesome. When Shakespeare is performed by smart actors who know what they are saying, it becomes so much more clear and understandable. We see examples of masculinity, and a lot of gender dynamics going on,” he said.
He also elaborated on how his vision for Macbeth will immerse the audience into the story’s world with plans to do more than expected.
“There are so many directorial, design, and acting choices that may surprise those who know the play well. There are certainly choices that I would like students to discuss in their classrooms. Most Freshman and Juniors will be taught this play in their English classes this semester, so I’ve been working with teachers this summer to help with assignment ideas. It’s been great to learn from them, and how each teacher approaches the play,” he added on.
Mr. Carlson shares the same amount of enthusiasm as Mr. Marcel which is evident through his diligent work behind the scenes.
“Personally, I love seeing plays on stage. It gives an opportunity to understand something many find difficult to read in the text, whereas on stage [you] receive the emotions and understand the jokes. On the technical side, it gives us an opportunity to design a different kind of set, something a little less mobile and more traditional,” he said.
Expected to go on sale the first week of October, Mr. Carlson believes that Bellarmine’s production of Macbeth will not be a drama that you want to miss.
“I’m excited to hear from the other students who have no idea what this play is about, and to get their reactions. This is how Shakespeare’s audience would have experienced it, and it is how Shakespeare wrote the play: as an experience for an audience in a theatre, spoken by actors who know what they are saying… not read passively at home.”