 MACBETH
Thank you for joining us during this our third season of the Children's Shakespeare Theatre. This production of Macbeth has been an entirely new challenge for the children, the most exciting part being the fight work and learning how to use a broadsword. Yet the challenges went far beyond that with the exploration of deeper emotions.
Ironically, we began our rehearsals for Macbeth just prior to September 11th. We were even scheduled for a rehearsal on that day which we didnšt cancel because we felt the cast members might need the secure forum of this group in which to air their fear and anger. We met in our circle, as we always do, and we ended up sitting there for an hour. We talked about the ramifications of violence. We talked about revenge. We talked about alternatives. We talked about the value of continuing with our work in a world that seemed to have become suddenly very serious. We found that, far from being frivolous, this thing we do - theater - is a very valuable tool for us and for our audience to help understand the events of our lives and to put them in perspective. We found that, in working to understand the exploration of violence that is Macbeth, we could draw some parallels to the world we live in. The bottom line is that violence is not the best means to an end. Macbeth would have very likely been chosen as king if he had continued on his path of supporting his king and winning his love, but he chose the fast and easy (and bloody) way and it brought about his own destruction.
I hope that you enjoy this production and that it gives you food for thought. Bless you all for your encouragement and support.
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