The Scottish Play Comes to Caine Lyric
Chris Mansa and Kelly Rogers
The last show in repertory at the Caine Lyric Theatre this summer, Macbeth, opens tonight. The show is directed by Adrianne Moore, Lyric Rep producer and head of the Department of Theatre Arts in the Caine College of the Arts.
“The Lyric Rep has never produced one of Shakespeare’s plays as part of the regular season,” Richie Call, co-artistic director of the Lyric Rep, said. “Hamlet opened the theater in 1913 and was revived when the theater reopened in the 1960s. There have been several of Shakespeare’s plays produced as part of the apprentice program, but never the main shows. I’m so excited to be a part of the first one.”
According to a theatrical superstition called the Scottish curse, speaking the name of the show, Macbeth, inside a theater will cause disaster. Therefore, many of the cast and crew refer to the show as “The Scottish Play.”
“I’ve always been fairly superstitious,” Rachel Banner, wardrobe technician and acting apprentice, said. “I understand the practical reasons behind the show supposedly being bad luck. It makes use of a lot of dangerous props and sets and it’s been said that failing theater companies would often perform the show as a last resort because they knew it would draw crowds, but it wouldn’t always save the company and so it became the last show many of them ever performed.”
Banner said superstition is a way for her to try to have some control over a situation where so many things can go wrong.
“It’s also, if I’m being fully honest, kind of fun,” Banner said. “It’s like an inside joke for theater people whether we truly believe it will affect the show or not.”
Macbeth cast includes: Madison Kisst (First Witch, Menteith); Sceri Sioux Ivers (Second Witch, Caithness); Morgen Kerian (Third Witch, Second Murderer, Gentlewoman); Terence Goodman (Duncan, Siward); Trent Dahlin (Malcolm); Tyler Matthew Campbell (Angus, Porter); Wyn Moreno (Ross); Jennifer Vosters (Donalbain, First Murderer, Lady Macduff); Mitch Shira (Captain, MacDuff); Chris Mansa (Macbeth); Toby Tropper (Banquo, Doctor); Matthew Abosamra (Lennox, Seyton); Kelly Rogers (Lady Macbeth); Anna Bodily (Fleance, Servant); Kelvin “KJ” Rhodes (Second Murderer, Soldier, Servant); Tristan Berg (MacDuff’s Son, Soldier, Servant); Grace Call (MacDuff’s Daughter, Apparition) and Cameron S. Neeley (Young Siward, Messenger, Soldier).
Opening July 5, Macbeth runs on select dates through August 4. The show also plays Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. Also part of the Lyric Rep 2018 season are Sense & Sensibility, Peter and the Starcatcher and Grey Gardens.
For more information and tickets, call 435-797-8022, go online to lyricrep.org or visit the Caine Lyric Theatre Box Office in downtown Logan at 28 West Center Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and one hour prior to curtain on show nights.Comments and questions regarding this article may be directed to the contact person listed on this page.
