It’s one of William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies – a harrowing tale of ambition, greed and vengeance – but to say the play’s name aloud is to risk invoking the 400-year-old curse that has been blamed for audience riots and onstage injuries.
The Delaware Shakespeare Festival will take its chances when the group performs “Macbeth” for its eighth annual summer production, from July 16 through July 31, at Rockwood Park in Brandywine Hundred.
“Whether or not the curse is true, I’ll leave that up to the audience,” said festival founder and artistic director Molly Cahill Govern.
The group chose to perform “Macbeth” because it shows off the darker side of Shakespeare, Govern said, and each character in the play is relatable.
After three witches prophesize that Macbeth will become King of Scotland, he and his wife decide to take matters into their own hands and murder the monarch, leading to a cavalcade of intrigue and bloodshed.
And while few Wilmingtonians are likely contemplating regicide, we have all felt Macbeth’s desire for things that are out of our grasp, she said.
“It’s very interesting to see Macbeth go from this very brave warrior to the end of the play where he’s almost a complete monster,” she said.
One of the challenges to staging “Macbeth” is keeping up with all of Shakespeare’s scene changes, Govern said. It’s also tough to stay true to the bard’s dark storyline while making the show approachable for the audience, she said.
To help folks follow along, this year’s festival will again feature an orientation 50 minutes before the start of the show and a comedic pre-show 20 minutes prior to show time. The pre-show will take a satirical look at that infamous curse, Govern said.
Also, on family nights (July 18 and July 25) actors will demonstrate the broadsword fighting techniques used during the performance. Most Shakespearean plays employ fencing, she said, but since “Macbeth” is set in Scotland, the broadsword technique makes the show more authentic.
“Macbeth” is an Elizabethan blockbuster if there ever was one, with an ending that will keep even the biggest Shakespearian skeptic on the edge of his picnic blanket, so the play has something for everyone, Govern said.
“Sitting out under the stars and enjoying this 400-year-old masterpiece, it’s just fun,” she said. “I think people will really get caught up in the story and the characters.”
