WASHINGTON, Ark.-The American Shakespeare Center's annual visit to this area brings us both comedy and tragedy for Shakespeare in the Park.
The ASC's troupe of traveling thespians will perform "Macbeth," one of Shakespeare's bloody tragedies, on Friday, March 2, with a performance of a classic comedy, "The Taming of the Shrew," on Saturday, March 3, at Historic Washington State Park.
Both performances, which start at 7:30 p.m., will be presented in traditional ASC style, which is as true as possible to Shakespeare's time in the use of universal lighting, minimal sets, music and cross-gender casting.
They also perform near the audience, which is an effective approach in the 1940 WPA Gym, where the plays are performed at the state park. An ASC performance is usually up close and personal with the actors often moving in and around the audience.
Actress Ally Farzetta plays Lady Macbeth, who spurs her husband to begin his murderous rampage, which begins with Duncan, King of Scotland. Macbeth, a general in King Duncan's army, is inspired by the prophecy of witches, who say he will become king himself. Thus is his ambition fueled.
Farzetta said the director, Ben Curns, believes this play could be called "the tragedy of the Macbeths," not just Macbeth. Key here is the strong marriage between Macbeth and his wife, which informs how she approaches the role.
"He said that he felt that one of the major tragedies of this play is the disintegration of this marriage between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth," Farzetta said. As the play unfolds, their marriage crumbles and Macbeth's reign comes to an end. But their marriage, the actress points out, was guided by support and love at the beginning.
In that way, it's a tragedy for them as a unit, Farzetta said. "I've come at it from an angle of constantly reminding myself before the play begins that I love my husband," she said. Lady Macbeth believes in her husband's great potential as a leader, after all.
"The idea that he could take on the role of father as king," Farzetta said of how they conceive of Lady Macbeth's belief in her husband. Her intentions in this way are selfless, the actress says, pointing out she pushed him only to kill Duncan.
"They're human beings, and we really have tried to focus in on that love," Farzetta said. "That's the motivation behind Lady Macbeth."
Unfortunately in this plotting and scheming, the violence and murders snowball. They lose control of the situation.
"That something so terrible could stem from love is a scary idea," Farzetta said of these awful acts. It's something we see in real life, just as we do in "Macbeth."
Another way they utilize their ASC staging conventions is in the characters' interactions with the audience. The play contains many soliloquies, for one thing.
"They're talking to the audiences in front of them, the people that are there," Farzetta said. The characters are tackling a lot of weighty issues. "They have some tough questions to unpack," she said, noting Macbeth even turns to the audience for advice-"looking for help."
In "The Taming of the Shrew," Farzetta says, there's the bond of love between sisters that informs how she plays her role of Bianca, who's often seen as sort of a wallflower that the male suitors all want. But in this respect, Bianca is actually working the system to her advantage, while her older sister takes a different approach in this patriarchal society.
Jemma Alix Levy, guest director for this performance, writes in an introduction to ASC's "Taming of the Shrew" that Katherine, the "shrew" and main character, is actually a feminist character in what amounts to a romantic comedy.
"You see these two women are just trying to get what they want," Farzetta said. Though they're sisters who love each other, each confronts this society differently.
In addition to the two performances, the ASC will present Saturday afternoon workshops: Shakespeare and Rap at 11 a.m., Audience Contact in Shakespeare at 1 p.m., Shakespeare and Special Effects at 2:30 p.m. and Cue Scripts and Shakespeare at 4 p.m.
The fee is $5 per workshop with a minimum age of 14 years old, or ages 6 to 14 with the supervision of an adult.
Originally from Long Island, Farzetta has packed some experience with Shakespeare into her credits, including "Twelfth Night," "Romeo and Juliet" and Love's Labour's Lost." She performed with the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, and she's looking forward to this date with Historic Washington in a week.
"I think we're all excited to come to the venue," Farzetta said.
(Tickets: $10 for adults, $5 for children 6 to 12. Required ticket reservations: Call 870-983-2684. Tickets can be picked up at the 1874 Courthouse Visitor Center. Event doors open at 7 p.m.)