ASOLO REP EDUCATION & OUTREACHSTUDY GUIDE 2012–2013 NEW STAGES TOUR

ASOLO REPERTORY THEATRE PRESENTS ANFSU/ASOLO CONSERVATORY FOR ACTOR TRAININGPRODUCTION

TOURING SCHOOLSOCTOBER–NOVEMBER, 2012

by William Shakespeare

adapted by

Stephanie Fleischmann& Dmitr y Troyanovsky

direc ted by

Dmitr y Troyanovsky

Macbeth

Lady Macbeth

Duncan, Doctor

Malcolm, Lady Macduff

Banquo, Macduff’s Son,Scottish Friend

Macduff, Fleance

Macbeth

Lady Macbeth

Duncan, Doctor

Malcolm, Lady Macduff

Banquo, Macduff’s Son,Scottish Friend

Macduff, Fleance

JESSE DORNAN

BRITTANY PROIA

JACOB COOPER

SARAH BROWN

LINDSAY TORNQUIST

BRENDAN RAGAN

JOSEPH McGRANAGHAN

KELLY CAMPBELL

ZAK WILSON

ERIN WHITNEY

FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ

CHRISTOPHER WYNN

TABLE OF CONTENTSWHY MACBETH?....................................................3

THE IMAGERY OF MACBETH..................................3

CHARACTER MAP..................................................4

A PROMISE OF GREATNESS..................................5

THE MUSIC OF MACBETH.......................................6

IAMBIC PENTAMETER............................................7

POLITICS & POWER...............................................8

ASOLO REP LEADERSHIP STAFFProducing Artistic DirectorMICHAEL DONALD EDWARDS

Managing DirectorLINDA DIGABRIELE

FSU/Asolo Conservatory Director,Associate Director of Asolo RepGREG LEAMING

MACBETH CREATIVE TEAMDirectorDMITRY TROYANOVSKY

Adapted bySTEPHANIE FLEISCHMANN & DMITRY TROYANOVSKY

Original Music bySASKIA LANE

Resident DramaturgLAURYN E. SASSO

Costume DesignMORIA SINE CLINTON

Sound DesignMATTHEW PARKER

Voice & Dialect CoachPATRICIA DELOREY

Hair & Make-up DesignMICHELLE HART

Stage ManagersANN E. STENEHJEM & KATY SYLVESTER

Tour CoordinatorBECCA ROTHMAN

Fight DirectorBRUCE LECURE

Music CoachDON BRYN

ASOLO REP EDUCATION& OUTREACH STAFFEducation & Outreach DirectorBRIAN HERSH

Education AssociateKELLI BRAGDON

Education ApprenticeLILY JUNKER

STUDY GUIDE HOW-TOEach discussion and activity has been selected to explore the content and themes of Macbeth. This guide may be used in its entirety or discussions and activities may be selected to enhance specific lessons. In this packet, there are activities for Theater, Language Arts and Social Studies classrooms. All activities correspond with the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.

Sunshine State Standards KeyTH: TheaterSS: Social StudiesLA: Language Arts

Study Guide Written by: Kelli Bragdon and Lily JunkerALL PHOTOS BY SCOTT BRAUN

MACBETH CASTS:TEAM SOUND

TEAM FURY

WHYMACBETH?(SS)

Read the following portion of the director’s notes from the opening night playbill of Macbeth. Director and co-adaptor Dmitry Troyanovsky explains why he feels Macbeth is a story relevant to audiences today:

DISCUSSION:

• How can power and ambition corrupt leaders? What examples of this can be seen in the world today that might lead to tragedy?

• Why is it important to explore these topics in theatre, school and life?

Like most people, I have never been a heartbeat away from inheriting a crown or entering

high office. On the surface Macbeth’s story has little to do with my life. But what if I forget

about Macbeth’s high birth and royal aspirations? Beyond the regal circumstances, we get a haunted individual who risks

everything to attain his secret ambition. A wondrous and unique opportunity presents itself to Macbeth and he grabs it,

consequences [aside]. Who wouldn’t be tempted, at least in daydreams, to outsmart destiny or achieve the impossible?

We live in a society in which ambition and hunger for success play a very important role. At its best, ambition fuels social

progress and personal growth. But what if the same force can warp the mind and corrupt the soul? It is wholly possible for

our own inner witches to lead us, under the guise of ambition, to the path of ethical confusion and even self-destruction.

Macbeth might be a corrupt politician, a rapacious banker, a negligent medic, a cheating student, or a sell-out artist.

In her opening night program notes, co-adapter Stephanie Fleischmanndiscusses the imagery and mood she hopes to create with this adaptation:

In the original text of Macbeth, three witches seek out Macbeth and tell him that he will someday be King. The adaptors of this production have cut the characters of the three witches. However, the prophecy remains because it incites the action of the play. The birds act as a bridge between the magical world of the witches and their prophecy, and the real world which Macbeth lives in.

DISCUSSION:

• From Stephanie’s description, what mood do you expect the play to have? What images, besides birds and insects, could evoke that atmospheric mood? If you have read Macbeth, what other thematic elements and images stand out to you?

• After you see the production, discuss the use of birds, and the presence of nature in the play. What stood out to you?

THE IMAGERY OF MACBETH (TH, LA)

As we worked on the adaptation, Dmitry and I became

obsessed with the language of Macbeth—its imagery of

darkness and the passage of time, the omnipresence of night

that pervades the play, and its preponderance of creatures

of the night, the insects and birds that populate the text

alongside the witches. We asked ourselves: How do we

render the incredibly rich, strange, and desecrated world

that resides in the fabric of the play’s text…?

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CHARACTER MAP (TH, LA)

CHANGING TITLES:As Macbeth gains power throughout the play, he holds different titles:

• Thane of Glamis

• Thane of Cawdor

• King of Scotland

WHAT IS A THANE?: a Scottish nobleman, who holds authority over land(in Macbeth’s case Glamis and Cawdor).

ADAPTATION ANDMULTIPLE CHARACTERSIn the original text of Macbeth, the character list, or Dramatis Personae, includes over 27 characters, plus a large number of extra lords, soldiers, attendants, messengers and other roles. It is extremely rare now (and was even rare in Shakespeare’s time), for a theatre company to use 30 or more actors in a production. More often, actors play multiple roles. Directors may even chose to combine characters to simplify staging or casting.

You will be seeing a 45-minute adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth that was crafted specifically for a cast of six actors. The adaptors worked with Shakespeare’s original text to create this new piece, using only the parts they felt were necessary to tell the story they wanted to tell.

MACBETH• Scottish nobleman who later becomes King

LADY MACBETH• His wife

DUNCAN• King of Scotland

MALCOLM• King Duncan’s son• Named as the heir to the throne at the start of the play

MACDUFF• Scottish Nobleman

SON

LADY MACDUFF• His wife

BANQUO• Macbeth’s friend• Scottish NoblemanFLEANCE

• His sonMURDERER• Hired by Macbeth to kill Banquo and Fleance

PROPHECY (WITCHES)• Tells Macbeth he will become Thane of Cawdor, and later King• Tells Banquo his descendents will be Kings

DISCUSSION:

Using the character map above (as well as any knowledge you may already have of the play), make a prediction about which characters might be combined or played by the same actor.

AFTER THE PLAY:

• Which actors played more than one character and what characters did they play?

• Why do you think the director chose to break up the roles that way?

• How did you know when an actor had changed roles?

THINK LIKE THE DIRECTOR:

• Would you have combined different roles for the actors? Explain.

• How would you represent the character changes in a production if you were directing?

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A PROMISE OF GREATNESS (TH, LA)

The actions of Macbeth (and the reason for Macbeth’s many titles) center around a prophecy he receives, which reveals his past, present and future. Read the prophecy below and discuss it as a class.

DISCUSSION:• What is Macbeth promised? How might hearing this affect his behavior? How would you react to receiving a prophecy like this?

MACBETH’S PROPHECY:ACTIVITY:Write your own prophecy-what is your past, present and future. In three short statements, share the prophecy you would expect to receive from the witches. See examples written by the actors for their bios below:

EXAMPLE 1: ACTRESS PLAYING LADY MACBETHAll hail the Queen of Ice and Snow!Passionate bulwark of Sea and Stage!Heed the prevailing lime-lights to come!

EXAMPLE 2: ACTOR PLAYING MACBETHWith the spirit of lifeAmong his comrades Seeking happiness, like a snake chasing its tail.

All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!

Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!

All hail, Macbeth, though shall be king hereafter!

–ACT 1, SCENE 111

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ACT IT OUT:Take your prophecy to the next level, and find a way to stage it for your classmates.

THE MUSIC OF MACBETH (TH, LA)

Sound design is often a key component of theatrical productions. Directors and designers use music, sound effects and silence to highlight moments, underscore scenes and to provide the audience with insight into the world of the play and the feelings of its characters.

For this production of Macbeth, the adaptors enlisted the help of musician Saskia Lane to create original music to use throughout the play. She used Shakespeare’s text and set it to new meloies that she created to suit the mood of the play.

“Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.”– Leonard Bernstein

ACTIVITY:

Below you will find a few brief descriptions of some of Shakespeare’s other plays. Use the descriptions and any knowledge you may already have about the plays to determine what tone you think the plays might have. Then, select a musical genre that you think fits the play and its tone. Be specific! Select artists, bands or songs that you think could represent the production musically.

• Romeo and Juliet: A pair of star-crossed lovers fight to be together in this tragedy about young love and familial obligation.

• A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Chaos ensues as the magical and real worlds collide in the forest in this comedy, leaving everyone confused about who they really love.

• Hamlet: Prince Hamlet struggles with his father’s murder by his uncle and ultimately vows revenge, no matter what the cost.

GOING FURTHER:

Select a portion of text from your favorite Shakespearean play. Think about when in the play the text takes place, the speaker’s emotional state and the overall tone of the play. Pick a song that already exists OR create an original melody that you think suits the tone and set the words to the music!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• How might the use of music or sound effect the tone of a play?

• Think of specific examples in film, television or theatre that you have seen where music is used effectively. How was the music used and how did it make you feel?

• Using what you already know about Macbeth, what tone might you expect the original song to have? Who might sing it?

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IAMBICPENTAMETER (TH, LA)

What makes Shakespearean plays sound so different than other plays? Did people really talk that way? Shakespeare and his contemporaries often wrote in verse, a form of poetry used in playwriting to give the characters a structured speech pattern. Shakespeare wrote in a specific style of verse called iambic pentameter.

WHAT IS IAMBIC PENTAMETER?A line in iambic pentameter has 10 syllables, with every other syllable stressed.The rhythm in each line of iambic pentameter sounds like:da-DUM / da-DUM / da-DUM / da-DUM / da-DUM

FOR EXAMPLE:would you / please take / the dog / out for / a walk ?

You’ll notice that the rhythm comes very close to the natural rhythm of the English language and 10 syllables is usually enough time to form a complete thought.

ACTIVITY:WRITE YOUR OWN MONOLOGUE

One of Macbeth’s most famous speeches occurs when he is deciding whether or not to kill King Duncan. Macbeth imagines he sees a dagger pointing towards Duncan’s room and believes this could be a sign to kill him. However, Macbeth recognizes King Duncan has treated him well and questions whether he could actually kill him.

Using this situation, write your own monologue for Macbeth, starting with the famous first line below. See if you can follow the rules of iambic pentameter and write in the style of Shakespeare.

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MACBETH:Is this a dagger which I see before me,*

*WAIT A SECOND!That has 11 syllables and you just told me that iambic pentameter has 10 syllables. This line is an example of Shakespeare breaking from form, or breaking the rules. Shakespeare often did this to emphasize characters’ uncertainty, distress or excitement. Have fun “breaking” the rules in your own way as you write your monologue, or see if you can rewrite the first line and keep the whole thing in iambic pentameter.

HINT: If you are having trouble counting syllables, try drumming them out on your chest like a heartbeat as you speak the text aloud.

Pat & Bob BaerSusan & Jim BuckBarbara & Phil EdlinLeda Freedman FundJelks Family FoundationJanet HymanRobert JohnsonJack Kessler & Maurice RichardsBeverly L. Koski

AnonymousAsolo Repertory Theatre Guild

Betty-Jean & David BavarCordelia Lee Beattie Foundation

Mandell & Madeleine Berman FoundationLisa Carlton

Susan DweckAndrew R. Ferrell Foundation

Charles Henry Leach II Foundation

Macbeth is a play that explores power, ambition and entitlement. Why might these issues be especially relevant to audiences today considering that this production tours during and immediately after the presidential election?

VISIT US ONLINE AT ASOLOREP.ORG

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Tricia MireAnne NethercottMichael PenderThomas & Lola Seligman Fund at the Community Foundation of Sarasota CountyMr. & Mrs. Stanley B. SiegelFlorence WildnerMary Lou & Edward Winnick

FRIENDS OF EDUCATIONMAJOR DONORS

NEW STAGES FOUNDATION & INDIVIDUAL SPONSORS

In February 2012, Asolo Rep won WEDU’s “Be More…Enriched” Arts & Culture Award for culturally-based organizations that contribute to the spirit of adventure and exploration through education in the arts, and bring rich and engaging experiences to audiences who might not otherwise have opportunities to witness or be an active participant. This award recognizes outstanding achievement specifically for programs related to the arts, performance, historic or zoological exhibits.

POWER & POLITICS (SS)

“How far is one willing to go in order to acquire and keep power? Is ruthlessness necessary to achieve one’s political ambitions?”– Director & Co-Adaptor Dmitry Troyanovsky

After you see Macbeth, discuss any parallels you see between the world of the play and the world in which we live. To the right you will see a quote from the director posing questions about the play. Discuss them as they relate to both the world of the play and the world today.

DISCUSSION:

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