OCC to tackle two legends in 'Macbeth'
Oakton Community College is throwing caution to the wind by producing William Shakespeare's famous tragedy, "Macbeth," in its Footlik Theater, 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines.
The show will be performed three times this weekend, beginning Thursday, and five times next weekend. In fact, Saturday's 8 p.m. performance will be a benefit for the Oakton Educational Foundation's Performing Arts Scholarship Fund.
Theatre lore has it "Macbeth" is cursed, so many actors and directors are unwilling to mention the play by name when they are in a theater because they fear that something dire will occur.
"Last fall in design meetings, we tried not to mention the play by name," admitted Mary Ringstad, the show's director and an Oakton adjunct faculty member. "But that is really impossible to do. So we have thrown all caution to the winds and are saying the name all over the place. We are hoping that it is just a superstition and that Shakespeare didn't use real witches' incantations, as some theorize."
Set in Scotland in 1040, "Macbeth" tells the story of a Scottish general, Macbeth, who returns from a successful battle and is greeted by a trio of witches who prophesize that he will become the next king.
Drunk with the lust for power and at the urging of his wife, Macbeth kills his commander, King Duncan, in order to hurry the prophecy along. But Macbeth becomes paranoid and Lady Macbeth is ridden with guilt so they never enjoy their ill-gotten power. Eventually, Macbeth is killed by forces supporting Malcolm, King Duncan's son, and Malcolm takes his rightful place on the throne.
Ringstad said that this is only the second time that Oakton has produced a Shakespearean play and she has directed both.
"Oakton has brought in outside companies that have performed Shakespeare, but we have only attempted it ourselves once before -- when we did 'Midsummer Night's Dream' in 2004," Ringstad said.
Directing Shakespeare is a special challenge, she explained, because in addition to dealing with all of the usual things a director faces like setting the mood, getting actors to show the correct emotions and so forth, you also have to deal with the antiquated verse.
"When you are directing student actors in a Shakespearean play, you have to teach them how to approach the verse and speak it so that it can be understood by the audience," Ringstad said. "But all of the students in the show have really risen to the occasion."
The cast of 17 includes eight students, three faculty/staff members and six people from the community.
Macbeth is played by Ryan Swikle and Lady Macbeth is played by Patricia Skarbinski, both professionals from Chicago. Malcolm, the king's son, is played by a student, Mike Ardashnikov of Skokie and Nathan Wieland of Evanston, another student, plays Ross, the messenger who is known for bringing bad news.
Kate Tillotson of Des Plaines, an Oakton staff member, plays one of the witches. Humanities adjunct faculty member Joe Page of Evanston plays the porter and chemistry staff member Dave Fisher of Chicago performs the part of Macduff.
"This production offers parents a perfect opportunity to introduce their children and teens to Shakespeare," Ringstad said. "We will have lots of special effects and besides, this is one of the easiest Shakespeare plays to follow. It is his shortest tragedy and there are no subplots. I would recommend it for sixth grade and up."
If you go
What: "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare
When: 8 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday and March 28-29, 7:30 p.m. March 27 and 2 p.m. March 29-30
Where: Oakton Community College's Footlik Theatre, 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines
Cost: $5 today and Friday; $25 for the Saturday scholarship benefit show and for all other shows, $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors
Call: (847) 635-1900 or www.oakton.edu