Shakespeare comes to life on FHS stage

The dark side of ambition comes to life this weekend as the Fauquier High School Shakespeare Troupe debuts its student-directed production of Macbeth

“It’s the perfect play for us because the themes of ambition and betrayal and greed are really timeless,” said director Mary McCulla, 18. “A lot of high school is about striving for things and trying to reach above you, and it’s easy to step on people to reach the top.”

McCulla originally planned to direct Twelfth Night, a play she was more familiar with, but said she “fell in love” with Macbeth after reading it last summer.

“It’s a tale about a man who lets ambition get the better of him,” she said.

After several years performing Shakespeare’s comedies, McCulla believes the serious production is a good artistic change for the troupe.

“Tragedies are difficult and require a lot of different depths of emotion, but we had the talent to perform it,” she said.

Macbeth is the 10th play the troupe has performed since its first performance in 2002, when founder Bre Detwiler poured her passion for acting and Shakespeare into a production of Othello.

“She wanted a venue that was student directed,” said English teacher Lee Lorber, who serves as the troupe’s faculty sponsor.

Lorber believes the troupe sets an excellent standard for Shakespearean production.

“It’s not just the intellectual understanding, but the way they grasp the nuances of the language and understand the powerful messages he has even for modern language,” she said. “I love to see kids of this caliber coming together and having people they can ‘ping’ off and communicate with.”

Every spring, the troupe auditions new members to fill the vacancies of graduating seniors or those who have resigned participation. Once selected, a student can remain in the troupe until he or she graduates or decide to leave.

In all, the troupe consists of 15 students, each of whom is guaranteed a part in the annual production.

Students, who have been rehearsing the play since September, call Macbeth an “intense and exciting” production.

Senior Will Rodenberg, who plays Macbeth, described his role as “dynamic.”

“I like the role because Macbeth goes through so many stages of development as a character,” Rodenberg said. “At first he’s very cautious about murdering Duncan and he’s pressured into it by his wife, but as the play develops, he becomes more bold and frightening because his drive to become king consumes him, and he loses control.”

Students say the power of ambition pushes everyone to a choice in life — between playing dirty and playing fair — in a fundamental test of character.

The play also shows the consequences of blind ambition as both Macbeth and his wife are destroyed by it.

“The fact that Shakespeare gave Lady Macbeth so much power was unusual and attracted me to the character,” said Annie Harris, 17, who plays the part. “She’s extremely ambitious, and she doesn’t let anything stop her.”

But not without a price.

Although Lady Macbeth goes to “crazy lengths” to achieve her desires, “the play ultimately shows her decline and the consequences for acting in that manner, which ultimately leads to her death,” Harris said.

McCulla set the show in modern time, using a military theme to delineate the hierarchy between characters and make it relatable to the audience.

While the set is minimalist, designed by students out of PVC pipe and black curtains, McCulla said the simplicity “helps people focus more on the actors and the words.”

Students hope the play introduces and strengthens people’s appreciation for the playwright.

“I think people know Shakespeare as an archetype, and they know quotes from the plays, but they don’t know the plays themselves,” said Brooke Hahne, 18. “If they come see a play, they’ll have a greater appreciation for the whole thing.”

“We really understand what we’re saying, and I think that will help us convey it to the audience,” Harris said.

According to Lorber, the troupe is well-known at the Folger Shakespeare Festival for its grasp of Shakespeare’s language.

“I don’t think the audience should be daunted by Shakespeare or his language, because even though the language is challenging, it’s beautiful,” Rodenberg said.

In addition to stretching their talent as actors, participation in the troupe also encourages collaboration.

“It’s different than a teacher directed production,” Rodenberg said. “We’re equals working together, and we do what Mary asks out of respect, which develops a sense of teamwork and cooperation.”

Proceeds from the play are used to restock costume and set pieces, as well as finance the troupe’s participation in the Folger Shakespeare Festival, where they will perform an abridged version of Macbeth later this spring.

Show times for Macbeth are Feb. 3 and 4 at 7 p.m. in the high school’s cafeteria. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for students.