|
It Takes a Community …
By Karen Hunter
 | | Sean Melycher plays the Murderer and Chris Peterson plays Lennox. |
|
As I reported in last week’s edition of The Voice [All the World's a Stage … Winsted Included], the Mountain Laurel Players are currently rehearsing Master Shakespeare’s MacBeth. We are in the midst of our rehearsals under the direction of Penny Owen.
If it takes a community to raise a child, it has taken and will continue to take an entire community to raise the curtain for our March 27-30 production at Redman's Hall in Winsted. We have great cast members who have been juggling work, school and family, abandoning supportive loved ones three times a week for rehearsals. The Players have been fortunate and grateful for the rehearsal spaces provided at the Town Hall, Redman's Hall, and recently the Recreation Center in Rowley Park. The entire community owes a round of applause to the Shafeek Nader Trust for recruiting and funding Penny Owen to help resuscitate the arts in Winsted.
Owen chose to produce Shakespeare’s MacBeth because she feels: "Our goal is to write our own plays about life in Winsted. If we are going to do that, we must learn the roots of our theater and that is Shakespeare. His plays are what good plays are all about." Also, there are no restrictions upon the production nor are there any fees, which fits our budget perfectly. MacBeth is a timeless play that contains centuries-old, yet modern themes like manipulation, love and lust, selfishness, black magic, war, temptation, and the psychological demise of murderers.
The Royal Shakespeare Company produced MacBeth in blacks without a set or a single prop. Since plays are about the relationship between the characters, we aren’t going to use many props either. Owen has removed the archaic language and is not requiring the men to wear tights, as we want to observe them in tights as little as you do.
 | | Brien LaForge plays Malcolm and Jack Bourque plays the Porter. |
|
Owen continues to assist the cast through the process of discovering their characters. Early on we were asked to ponder and then articulate what we felt motivated our characters’ thoughts and actions. Owen refers to this exercise as finding the character’s spine. For example, Sean Melycher plays a wretch of the Earth whose spine is to gain the respect of other men. Jack Bourque plays the Porter, a limitlessly dirty old man, whose spine is to stay drunk as much as possible. Owen then added another exercise during which we were asked to walk as ourselves through the rehearsal space while listening to relaxing music. Melycher strolled, carefree, looking around and smiling while friendly-faced Bourque walked confidently. Owen then instructed the cast to think about their character’s spines, as she scanned the room searching for outward clues of a transformation. Melycher transformed into the Murderer as he bent his knees slightly, walking like a paranoid creep, losing his smile and eye contact, while Bourque as the Porter began to shuffle along in an unbalanced manner as the imaginary alcohol stole his social graces. Owen asks that we hold our characters as she begins each rehearsal, and plans to continue this developmental process until showtime.
The development of community theater here is perfectly timed, as technological advances continue to isolate society. These "advances" have caged the neighborhood as we bank, shop, chat, and go on virtual tours while sitting in front of our computers. We’ve become like zoo animals that are barely alive, yet would thrive in the wild. We are social animals who require interaction. The theater provides a magical social experience where audience members may enjoy the simplicity of storytelling while observing the complexity of human behavior. We look forward to entertaining each of you with our show. There is no charge, although donations will be accepted. Bring a friend and bring your imagination.
Happy birthday to Brien LaForge and Michelle Boilard … Adieu, Hecate.
 | | Jennifer Hunter plays the Servant and Louis Barney plays MacBeth. |
|
|
|
|
)
)