When it was announced that LuHi theater would be taking Macbeth to the School House on Mainstreet for the first show of the theater season, many were shocked to see a Shakespearean tragedy had been chosen. The show itself is a huge step up in terms of skill and prestige for the LuHi’s long-standing theater program.
Ryan Kleim, who plays the leading role of Macbeth, described his reaction to finding out the show was going to be a Shakespeare play. “I remember my first thought was ‘Really? With high school students?”, he said. “I mean, you’ve heard high school students read Shakespeare- it’s not that great.”
The decision to take on a show written by one of the greatest- and trickiest- playwrights was not made lightly. The last time a LuHi theater put on a Shakespeare production was in 2012, over a decade ago.
However, as the director of LuHi’s theater program, Ms. Lietzau believed the students would rise to the occasion. “(These students) have been constantly pushing themselves and improving their skills over the years. Our productions last year are a testament to that.” she explained, “The group we have now is amazingly talented, some of the best that have come through LuHi.”
While certainly this show is a new challenge for the actors, due to its poetic dialogue, lack of stage directions to guide the actors, and the wide range of complex emotions, the cast has taken on the show with gusto. Despite his initial doubts, Ryan has enjoyed rehearsing and learning about his role.
“It’s been fun to do a lot of character work, and as much of a pain it is to remember the lines, Shakespeare’s writing is very pretty… It’s been an artistically fulfilling experience.” He said.
The cast and crew are gearing up for their last week of rehearsal, known in the theater world as “Tech Week”, perfecting and polishing their performances for hours every night. While the work will be long and hard, the reward will be a performance unlike any other.
“I actually think it will be very, very good,” Ryan said.
LuHi Theater will be performing Macbeth in the SchoolHouse on Mainstreet from September 29th through October 1st. You can purchase tickets here or by scanning the QR code in the Flex Room. Don’t miss this incredible production!
