“Something wicked this way comes,” and it will be at The Lakeside Theater on October
24, 2014, at 7 p.m. Rangeley Friends of the Arts is sponsoring two performances of
William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth by the Theater at Monmouth (TAM) troupe, one
exclusively for the RLRS Middle School and High School during the school day and
another for the entire Rangeley community.
Returning from victory on the battlefield where they have crushed a rebellion against
King Duncan and invasion from abroad, his generals Macbeth and Banquo are
accosted by three mysterious women. These “weird sisters” greet Macbeth as Thane of
Cawdor—a title belonging to one of the vanquished rebels—and predict he will become
king. But the future successors to the throne, they say, will be Banquo’s descendants,
not his. Part of this prophecy seems to be fulfilled shortly afterwards, when Duncan
rewards Macbeth by bestowing on him the newly executed Cawdor’s title; Macbeth’s
prospect of becoming king, however, seems dimmed when Duncan names his son
Malcolm as his successor.
Urged on by his wife, Macbeth decides to take matters into his own hands. He murders
Duncan as he sleeps, while Lady Macbeth contrives to throw suspicion on the king’s
own attendants. Fearing for their safety, Malcolm and his brother Donalbain flee, and
Macbeth assumes the throne. Fearing Banquo’s suspicions, Macbeth orders his murder
and that of his son, Fleance—but that deed, far from bringing him peace, has
consequences as terrifying as they are unexpected. Haunted by the specter of his
guilt, Macbeth consults the sisters, who assure him that he need fear no man born of
woman and that his position will be secure until a nearby wood is seen to move.
Meanwhile, as Macbeth’s rule degenerates further into a reign of terror, the exiled
Malcolm returns with English troops to claim the throne. Too late, Macbeth realizes that
the sisters’ prophecies are riddled with deadly ambiguity, and that the destiny he has
pursued is a double-edged sword, forged by his own murderous hand.
Previous TAM performances at Lakeside have been Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, and The
Twelfth Night. A professional telling of the tale of the bard’s most murderous play costs
$10. Rangeley, one week before Halloween, really? There is no reason why every seat
shouldn’t be filled. Don’t be weird (wyrd). We’ll see you there.
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