The recent weeks of late September into October have been brimming with activity regarding the fall play. Cast members exercise demanding hours in the Haldane auditorium and at home decoding Shakespeare’s text, and each rehearsal nurtures new ideas and questions. At present, more than half of the show is established and being polished up. And, with the silhouette of a set, minor props, and memorized lines, the production is coming well along.
Multiple roles in Macbeth are double-cast or played by two people on different nights. This grants actors more possibilities in what would traditionally be a small show and diversifies interpretations of the four-hundred-year-old play. Sophie Koch, a senior, appreciated how “it gives people more opportunities to have the experience of playing a lead role.” She plays Lady Macbeth alongside senior Helen Hutchison, but both actresses employ artistic freedom in their characters. Furthermore, their interactions with juniors Lucius Bell and Merrick Williams, playing Macbeth, enhance the intricacies between the cast.
Rehearsals will become more consuming and extensive as the school year marches toward December. However, this group of actors will be relieved once the magic of theater manifests Macbeth on opening night.
Audition Workshop, First Read-throughs, Blocking Rehearsals, and Much More!
On September 10, director Mrs. Martha Mechalakos and assistant director Mrs. Andrea McCue invited curious auditionees to a Shakespeare Acting Workshop. Thirty-some bright high schoolers sat in a circle for three hours discussing, absorbing, and enjoying Macbeth soliloquies and trialogues while learning key information about producing that authentic Shakespearean tone. “Full-bodied, muscular sounds are crucial in the projection of your sound,” Mrs. Mechalakos explained to the students. Breath control also determines vocal accuracy and strength, and Shakespeare cleverly embeds a code in the text to establish consistency and power; colons behave as brief pauses while maintaining momentum, but the comma is a catch-breath, increasing momentum. Moreover, iambic pentameter, a rhythmic device, forms the structure of an unstressed to stressed syllable in a set of five. Alongside breath control, it emphasizes what the audience ought to pay attention to. An actor must use these techniques to make the verses flow and be intelligible to modern ears. And that is exactly what the directors listened for.
Two and three days later, these individuals poured energy and emotion into their auditions, seeing their dream roles just ahead. Yet, assigning roles took work for the directors and the actors. “Casting is always incredibly difficult because there are so many worthy and talented people in Haldane Drama,” Mrs. McCue illustrated. Students absorbed the posted cast list the next Monday with triumph and defeat. These emotions embraced the read-throughs, where the characters dissected the play verbatim over three days. In-depth line work followed, studying inside scenes and between characters under Mrs. Mechalakos’s or Mrs. McCue’s guidance. Here, the actors demonstrated the most growth in their interpretations and comprehension, applying insight surrounding breath control and iambic pentameter.
Now, the actors face blocking rehearsals, where the transfer of words on a page to movement and expression occurs. This precious time transforms diction into performing arts.
New Interest in Theater
As seniors graduate from Haldane Drama in the spring, it is vital to encourage curiosity for newcomers in the fall. The program runs on new interests, mutually benefiting the theater and the individual with fresh perspectives and new opportunities. Callie Sniffen, a senior, took on this initiative at the HS Club Fair, desperate for someone new to assume control of sound cues and microphones during performances. “Being involved in the productions at Haldane is a great experience because of the quality of the shows,” Callie commented. Students learn all sorts of skills from highly experienced directors, having a profound impact when they graduate.
This year, numerous underclassmen have arrived in various roles, such as acting, stage crew, tech crew, and set building. Like Eamonn McGrory, a supporting lead in last year’s middle school play, freshmen shared nervous excitement for Macbeth after the first workshop. Current ninth graders at Haldane are not yet exposed to Shakespeare, and the play’s numerous rules and contorted language can be overwhelming. However, despite anxious introductions, the freshmen are beginning to fit in. Eamonn remarked that he felt more confident with meter and early modern English one month into rehearsals. “High school and middle school are very different experiences,” he acknowledged. “Macbeth is a deep play, and there are many more people [in the show]. But it’s great to meet others, connect, and have fun. Everyone is here to have fun.”
Haldane Drama will have four performances of Macbeth, two for students and two for the public. The directors, designers, artists, stage and tech crews, actors, and volunteers put an extraordinary amount of time and work into every production. Students, friends, and families can exhibit their support in the first week of December and come see sword fighting, witchery, betrayal, and greed in this Shakespearean tragedy.