“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more.” The real world and our own humanity is often reflected in art, and the theatre arts are no different in their ability to make us think about our own lives. While the theater can be a place of reflection, it can also serve as an escape from your day to day. For whatever reason you have chosen to be here, in this space right now, we are grateful you have chosen to spend time with us as we present William Shakespeare’s shortest play and one of his most famous works, Macbeth.
This story centers around an ambitious man named Macbeth and his fateful experience with three witches who promise him he will become king of Scotland. Macbeth’s decisions throughout the play are destructive but also effective, and the story centers around his choice, with the help of his wife, to take fate into his own hands upon hearing the witches’ prophecy. This dark tale has been told many times on many stages, and even on Freedom’s stage years ago, but we hope our performance has its own unique flair and leaves you pondering themes such as fate vs. free will, ambition vs. honor, and loyalty vs. self-interest. While you may hear and see no more after our couple of hours upon the stage, we hope this production will keep space in your mind for a long time to come.
This production came together in a truly magical way. I never expected my theatre students to be so excited about Shakespeare, so you can imagine my surprise and excitement when they applauded and began planning immediately after I announced that Macbeth was our fall production. Not only did they express excitement at the onset, but they have managed to keep that energy alive throughout this entire rehearsal process. The countless hours of preparation, the long tech build Saturdays and actors stumbling through difficult lines that are nothing like modern English, has finally paid off!
People always say that it will come together in the end, and this production exemplifies the power that the love for theatre arts can have. I have been impressed by the team effort put into this production, and we could not have done it without the helpful insight of my two assistant directors, Grace and Katie. Their insight has been an invaluable resource for this production in a variety of ways, and I am honored to have collaborated with them. Additionally, the support of TJ Hartless, a Freedom Theatre Alumni turned Technical Director, provided the technical teams with knowledge and skills needed to pull off this bold production. Ian Claar’s fight choreography helped us establish the world of Medieval Scotland as well as support storytelling through action, especially near the end of the show.
I am fortunate to be a part of such a creative and eclectic group, and I would like to express my extreme gratitude for the hard work all of the students have put into this production. The incredible parent support provided the backbone for us as always, while the sincere focus of the actors and collaboration of the technicians allowed the show its grace. It took the commitment of every single person involved to make this show successful, and I could not be more proud of the work we have created together.
Rachel Wickham
Theatre Director
