Director refreshes Shakespeare’s “˜Macbeth’

For many, Shakespeare connotes a daunting, confusing dive into
humanity’s deep-seated emotions and desires. But an upcoming
student-run production of “Macbeth” will interpret such
connotations quite unconventionally.

Now in its fourth year, the student group Shakespeare UCLA has
been presenting full-length Shakespeare productions since its
inception. Shakespeare UCLA provides students who are interested in
literature and theater, but who are not students in the theater
department, an opportunity to participate in annual
performances.

This year the group presents its first tragedy,
“Macbeth,” the classic Shakespeare play of ambition,
power, violence and masculinity. The cast is directed by Ben
Prusiner, a third-year English student who said he has been
entranced with “Macbeth” since high school.

“The violent, crazy Macbeth expresses himself in beautiful
language seemingly unfit for a psychopath,” Prusiner
said.

The director’s obsession with Shakespeare’s language
in this tragedy is no surprise considering his course of study. And
this passion for language has fostered his version to extend beyond
a conventional reading of the text. His vision is further enriched
through a multifaceted cast of diverse ages, educational interests
and backgrounds.

Morgan Early, a third-year psychology student who plays Lady
Macbeth, worked with Shakespeare UCLA last year in its production
of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

In Early’s experience, interacting with the diverse group
of students is inspirational and motivating to those involved with
the project. With their differing levels of experience, each member
brings a separate goal, perception and stance to the project, and
their various acting styles stemming from these broaden the
actors’ repertoire, she said.

Diversity becomes the common ground for the basis of an
intricately joined production, she said.

“Working with a diverse cast you learn so much
more,” Early said. “The play becomes the thing you have
in common.”

Because of the director’s English literature background,
the cast gained a greater understanding of the play through the
dissection and study of words. Throughout the rehearsal process
there was a tremendous amount of textual analysis which forced the
interpretation of Macbeth to traverse to a deeper level of
emotional, psychological and physical meaning.

“Text is everything,” Prusiner said.
“Shakespeare’s direction is evident in the decoding of
the imagery and verbiage.”

Along with this textual approach, the actors helped the director
to develop a new theatrical approach.

“Lady Macbeth is labeled a villain,” Early said,
“but, by dissecting the words, you find a very human level
(to her character).”

Portraying the humanity of Shakespeare’s characters is one
of the director’s goals. Prusiner wanted to reinforce the
passion, drive and purpose of the perpetrators in their quest for
power and their ultimate loss of humanity. The tragedy is based in
the archetypal qualities that humans possess and sometimes exhibit
to violent ends. Along with this quest, comes the question of
gender, and Prusiner examines the play with the issue of gender in
the forefront.

“The play challenges gender stereotypes,” said Mike
Nicholas, a first-year theater student who plays the title role of
Macbeth. “The characters in the play define themselves by
their sex, but act unaccordingly to claim their power.”

Characters who have typically been male in classical versions of
“Macbeth” are now female. Banquo, the rival of Macbeth
in military power and his ultimate obstacle, is female in
Shakespeare UCLA’s production. Also, many lords have been
transformed into ladies, and the witches, originally three women,
are now two women and one man.

“I am experimenting with gender dynamics,” Prusiner
said. “I want the audience to question whether these
distinctions have any meaning.”

By blurring gender lines, Prusiner reinvents
“Macbeth” as a commentary not only on humanity, but on
gender’s influences upon humanity.

“Shakespeare pushes his characters to do things that tear
them away from humanity ““ and whether they are male or
female, at a certain point those distinctions become irrelevant and
invisible,” Prusiner said. “Regardless of gender, all
the characters are human, and therefore exist on the same
level.”

With the textual focus driving direction and diverse backgrounds
driving acting, “Macbeth” embraces a fresh exhibition
of Shakespeare. Ultimately, the diversity of the players brings new
diversity to the play’s message, pushing theater and gender
borders.

“Shakespeare has solid constraints but is malleable at the
same time,” Early said. “And this is what (Prusiner)
tampers with to create a new interpretation of the bold
poet’s work.”

Shakespeare UCLA will present free showings of
“Macbeth” in the Northwest Auditorium today at 7:30
p.m. and Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m.