Preview of 'Macbeth' by Joel Barlow High School Theatre

Redding - Joel Barlow High School Theater will be offering a unique theatrical experience of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy “Macbeth.” The play is directed by Matthew Farina, who is an advanced learning opportunities instructor at Redding Elementary School. This year for the first time, Farina is directing and doing the choreography at Joel Barlow.

Farina has often directed, choreographed, and performed in theatrical productions in the Danbury area. He chose to stage ‘Macbeth’ immersively.

The director will explain what is meant by immersive theater in his introduction at the beginning of the show.

“Tonight you may experience scenes here inside the auditorium or in the halls surrounding it. At points throughout the show, performers will travel to different locations to tell their story. Follow them.”

Farina will go on to explain to the audience members that at any point they may change which character they follow. He will encourage members of a group to separate from their part, so that each can “build your own adventure.”

Doing so will allow audience members to “create [their] own version of the story from the point of view of who [they] follow.”

I was honored to be invited to attend a dress rehearsal of the production this week and asked to provide some feedback to the director and the students after experiencing one “loop” of the performance. The director wanted the high school actors to get a sense of having an audience follow them around the auditorium area of the campus and he was proud to show it off to me.

Farina had promised that this ‘Macbeth’ would be a very unique endeavor, especially for high school performers, and it proved to be just that. At the rehearsal, the student actors were “on” throughout their scenes, in dark Shakespearean-tinged costumes. There is moody lighting in the various areas of the campus that are employed as the stage for the various scenes. Those who have difficulty walking may want to bring something or someone to help them to safely navigate the darkened areas.

I would urge the members of the audience to take the instructions detailed by the director very literally. Even if your first instinct is “they can’t mean for us to follow the character backstage,” follow them anyway. I would recommend that you stick with one actor for the first loop and then follow another character for the second and yet another for the third loop. The three loops are the same, so that by the final scene every patron will have seen the entire performance.

Don’t be afraid to get close enough to the performers so that you can hear them well, even if you feel like you are in their way. They will manage. At times you may actually feel as if you are a part of the cast, and they will not mind.

It may feel a bit confusing at the beginning of the experience, but anyone familiar with this work of Shakespeare will be able to figure it out.

The director plans to submit a short film of the production to the Connecticut Drama Association. The association requires submissions to be a play and less than 45 minutes in length. Farina chose to do a Shakespeare play because he would be able to cut the text to fit into the time frame.

The high school is located in Redding at 100 Black Rock Turnpike and is quite easy to find. The parking lot is a “loop around.” Bear right to loop around and park on the left side of the building. There is a separate entrance to the auditorium area.

Performances of “Macbeth” at Joel Barlow High School are scheduled for Feb. 24, 25, 26 at 7 pm.

All photos courtesy of Matthew Farina