(Posted October 23, 2012)

"Macbeth" will be performed at 7:30 p.m., starting Thursday, Oct. 25-27, and starting Thursday. Nov. 1-Nov. 3, in the Suzanne von Liebig Theatre on the Juniata campus.
"Macbeth" will be performed at 7:30 p.m., starting Thursday, Oct. 25-27, and starting Thursday. Nov. 1-Nov. 3, in the Suzanne von Liebig Theatre on the Juniata campus.

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Juniata College's Theatre Department will perform a rendition of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" that is set in the hallways of high school. Instead of Scottish nobles, this play will be filled with jocks, witches, cheerleaders, geeks, rednecks, and nerds. Performances are at 7:30 p.m., starting Thursday, Oct. 25-27, and starting Thursday. Nov. 1-Nov. 3, in the Suzanne von Liebig Theatre on the Juniata campus.

Tickets for this performance can be purchased in advance online, or at the door. Student tickets are $4, and general admission tickets are $7. Tickets that are purchased online will be held at the door. If you are purchasing student or employee tickets, please be prepared to show your Juniata ID when you pick up your tickets.

Audience members will watch "Macbeth" as if they are parked in a local drive-in movie theatre. Scenery from the high school will be portrayed through thoughtful staging and projections. By setting "Macbeth" in high school, the production will focus on social cliques to depict that everyone can be a perpetrator or a victim of violence. As the play unfolds, students will be affected negatively by violence.

The director of "Macbeth," Neal Utterback, assistant professor of theatre at Juniata, has a bold vision for this play's interpretation. Utterback believes that the plot of "Macbeth" exemplifies the idea that violent acts breed greater acts of violence.

To represent this cyclical pattern, the performance of Macbeth will be repeated three times, each time shorter and more focused.

The director of "Macbeth," Neal Utterback, assistant professor of theatre, believes that the plot of "Macbeth" exemplifies the idea that violent acts breed greater acts of violence.

During this 90-minute show, the audience will see an abbreviated 45-minute "Macbeth," followed by a shorter 30-minute rendition, and ends with a 15-minute production. During each act, the audience will watch the characters lose time, verbal communication skills, and ultimately, their lives.

This performance of "Macbeth" will be set in high school to draw attention to the increased violence within schools across the country. After the performances, there will be optional discussions and activities in response to the emotions provoked by the play. Most of these discussions will be lead by academic departments within Juniata College.

The members of the cast for "Macbeth" are as follows:

Julia Mathis, a freshman from Collegeville, Pa.; Ross Madden, a junior from Richmond, Va.; Holly Souchack, a freshman from Scarsdale, N.Y.; Joe Yasalonis, a sophomore from Yardley, Pa.; Ethan Farrell, a sophomore from Damascus, Md.; Jessie Denison, a junior from Cherry Valley, N.Y.; Jamer Monella, a freshman from Morrisdale, Pa., Libby Casey, a junior from Landisville, Pa.; Lara Schaffer, a junior from Goshen, N.Y.; Andrew Kilpatrick, a sophomore from Johnstown, Pa.; Alex Hanbury, a freshman from Newington, Conn.; Emily Dale White, a sophomore from York, Pa.; Sara Deppenbrook, a senior from Beaver Falls, Pa.; Mara Zimmerman, a freshman from Los Angeles, Calif.; Megan Smith, a sophomore from Scranton, Pa.; Lauren Dobbs, a sophomore from Hillsborough, N.C.; Wendy Briggs, a freshman from Springfield, Va.; Imani Dial, a freshman from New Haven, Conn.; Ryan Edley, a senior from Hershey, Pa.; and Alyssa Newberg, a freshman from Derwood, Md.

Written by: Erin Kreischer

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.