Something wicked this way comes when Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Theatre presents “The Tragedie of Macbeth,” this year’s Shakespeare in the Park production. The show dates are Thursday, Sept. 7, Friday, Sept. 8 and Saturday, Sept. 9, and Thursday, Sept. 14, Friday, Sept. 15 and Sunday Sept. 16. Tickets are on sale now. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own picnic to the park for each performance. Refreshments will be sold (no outside beverages, please), and Cheescakes by Alissa (Sept. 7 through sept 9) and White Tree Bakery (Sept. 14 through Sept. 16) will provide desserts for purchase. Reduced price tickets are available for the Thursday night performances.
The drama is directed by Kevin Michael Moore.
“I’ve wanted to come back and direct for MVVLCT for a number of years,” Moore said. “My last show was ‘And Then There Were None.’ I also love Shakespeare in the park, and would do this show every chance I can get.”
Moore said that the cast he has is fantastic, and the show is a very collaborative in nature.
Challenges, aside from weather and the droning cicadas, has been learning the space for actors to use for the show.
“Making sure where the action can take place, especially during stage combat has definitely taken some getting used to,” Moore said.
Jarrod Derooi, who plays Macbeth in this production, has been performing Shakespeare performances with Prenzie Players in the Quad Cities.
“Aside from Hamlet, this is Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy,” Derooi said. “I like how concise this show is and the language.”
This is Derooi’s first performance of Shakespeare outdoors.
One of his greatest challenges has been maintaining the energy of Macbeth throughout the production.
“There’s many lines that Macbeth delivers mostly to himself, and that finding his tone and energy is hard,” Derooi said.
Isaiah Lewis plays Fleance in the show. Lewis, a seventh grader, joined the cast for the opportunity to broaden the roles he is able to tackle later.
“I also wanted to learn a little bit about stage combat,” Lewis said.
That’s his favorite part of the show, is the sword fighting element.
His most challenging has been learning the lines.
Nelly Ketchum-Johnson is returning after starring in Midsummer Night’s Dream last year, and agrees with Lewis on the struggles with the lines. She plays Young MacDuff in the production.
“This cast is great,” Ketchum-Johnson said.
Tawnua Tenley plays one of the witches in this production.
Tenley said that this is her favorite Shakespeare play, one she taught for years before it was advanced to AP Literature classes.
“It’s a play that we’re still reading and teaching, centuries later,” Tenley said.
Tenley said she had auditioned for a small role in the production, and being cast as one of the three witches, means she has a much more substantive role.
Alongside Braden Rood and Courtenay Baker, she is having a blast in the role.
“Don’t come in expecting a comedy,” Tenley said. “This is still a very engaging production.”
“It has blood, mayhem and witches,” Derooi said.
“It’s a very different experience from Shakespeare’s comedies,” Moore said. “It’s a play that dabbles in the nature of autocracy, and dips toes in the danger of fascism. We have a good blend of new faces and several returning actors in the cast as well.”
Tickets are available for order now at mvlct.com.
Macbeth – Jarrod Derooi
Lady Macbeth – Claire Boston
Banquo – Dan Campagna
Witch 1 – Braden Jp Rood
Witch 2 – Tawnua Tenley
Witch 3 – Courtenay Baker
Duncan/Messenger/Servant – Larry Hansen
Malcolm – Jacob Kostiv
Donalbain/Young Siward/Servant – Milo Olinger
Siward/Porter – Jen Brown
Macduff – John Zbanek Hill
Lennox – Trevor Baty
Ross – Erin Lauer
Angus – Bill Croghan
Old Man/Doctor – Len Struttmann
Apparitions – Larry Hansen, Bill Croghan, Jen Brown
Seyton – Ryan Elgin
Caithness/Lady Macduff/Gentlewoman – Leslie Hyland
Fleance – Isaiah Lewis
Young Macduff – Nellie Ketchum-Johnson
Cast of The Tragedie of Macbeth Macbeth — Jarrod Derooi Lady Macbeth — Claire Boston Banquo — Dan Campagna Witch 1 — Braden Jp Rood Witch 2 — Tawnua Tenley Witch 3 — Courtenay Baker Duncan/Messenger/Servant — Larry Hansen Malcolm — Jacob Kostiv Donalbain/Young Siward/Servant — Milo Olinger Siward/Porter — Jen Brown Macduff — John Zbanek Hill Lennox — Trevor Baty Ross — Erin Lauer Angus — Bill Croghan Old Man/Doctor — Len Struttmann Apparitions — Larry Hansen, Bill Croghan, Jen Brown Seyton — Ryan Elgin Caithness/Lady Macduff/Gentlewoman — Leslie Hyland Fleance — Isaiah Lewis Young Macduff — Nellie Ketchum-Johnson
Tawnua Tenley, Braden Rood and Courtenay Baker are bringing up some toil and trouble in the production of ‘The Tragedie of Macbeth.”