Macbeth: fear in the night [upcoming]

So, sometimes I get mail… I try to check out almost everything that crosses the internet transom, and every now and then I see something that just makes me go: “hmmmmm”

Yesterday was one of those times.

my kind of town, Chicago

You know (I hope) how Chicago is hosting a year-long celebration of Shakespeare, the Chicago Shakespeare 400 International Arts Festival. Well, one of the shows coming up sounds intriguing to say the least: since we finished off Macbeth a month and a half ago, the Scottish Play is still on my radar, so check this out…

Theatre Y is mounting a production of Macbeth, directed by French director and actor, Georges Bigot.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you say. Big deal. A production directed by a visionary director. What makes this special?

This is it: Theatre Y has been collaborating on this for A YEAR. This is no “six-week and we open” rehearsal schedule. The 18 actors who make up the ensemble have been rehearsing the play in its entirety for the past year, with casting taking place three-quarters of the way through the process.

Think about that for just a minute: Eighteen actors, all approaching the work, not piecemeal by his or her scene–cue, entrance, speech, exit–but as a whole play. The actors have been rehearsing the play, not knowing what role they will play, so that every actor knows every role, inside and out. They’ve lived in this world, and they know it and each other very well.

Patience and ambition.

Imagine that luxury of study, rehearsal, and process. Imagine what could come from that.

Layer on top of that director Bigot’s hallmark use of highly physical ensemble work, and the reality of an election cycle here in the US that is unlike one we’ve ever seen, and this looks like it could be pretty freakin’ cool.

Love this quote from the director:

“In this time of very fragile moment in the USA…I propose in the city of Chicago to share an underground nightmare. The [U.S.] election is a time where we can [approach] a lot of themes: Manipulation, Power, Truth, Lie, Shadow, Light…and also Fear. … It is very important to share…and to talk about all this fear.”

Welcome to his nightmare, people.

This production will run at the Chopin Theatre in Chicago from October 19 through December 4. And it sounds really interesting.

If any of the readers of this blog are in the Chicago area, I would absolutely love it if you’d check it out, become a domestic “foreign correspondent” and share a review!

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