As spring turns to summer, the Vermillion community comes alive with artistic outlets for locals. The South Dakota Shakespeare Festival (SDSF) brings the iconic bard’s work to the masses as it stages a full production in Prentis Park. The previous two productions, As You Like It (2012) and Taming of the Shrew (2014) were both comedies, so the company decided that it was time to bring one of Shakespeare’s famous tragedies to the public.
Macbeth, probably the most historically superstitious show, is on the playbill for 2015. Supposedly, there are real witches’ spells inside the text of the play, and as a result, many actors refuse to say the name of Macbeth, the main character for fear that bad things will befall the production. There are several ways to counter the curse, including spinning three times in place, spitting over your left shoulder, and uttering an obscenity or leaving the room, knocking three times, and being invited back to the theatre.
Despite the superstition, Chaya Gordon-Bland, director of the production says, "so far, we’re in the clear," in terms of mishaps while working on the play. She said that her team has had a wonderful time preparing for Macbeth and that even though it is a tragedy, the actors and crew find ways to keep some sense of fun in the show, rather than get bogged down by all of the tragic drama in the text itself. Gordon-Bland says that, "sometimes you need that relief and release from how dark the material is."
An exciting development for the SDSF is the addition of a guest director. Dennis Turney is a former colleague of Gordon-Bland from New York City’s American Globe Theatre, and will be offering a, "fresh, new perspective," as well as assisting Gordon-Bland as they strive to make this show a rousing success for the Vermillion locals.
The lead actors for the show are Tim Pyles – Macbeth, Chaya Gordon-Bland – Lady Macbeth, and a large ensemble with a mix of actors from New York City, graduate students from around the Midwest, and even Dr. Robert Hubbard, Professor of Theatre and Speech from Northwest College in Orange City, Iowa. The production of Macbeth will take place in Prentis Park on June 11-14 at 7 PM. Prior to the show, vendors and live music by the Vermillion Recorder Ensemble will go from 6 PM to 7 PM. The show is free to the public.
Support for the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival is provided by the City of Vermillion, the Vermillion Chamber and Development Company, Vermillion Rotary, Sanford Vermillion, the Dakota Hospital Foundation, the Vermillion Area Community Foundation, the University of South Dakota, and many local and regional businesses and individual patrons. South Dakota Arts Council support is provided with funds from the State of South Dakota, through the Department of Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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