Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth storms Rockwood Park Friday.
“Something wicked this way comes” to the outdoor venue in Wilmington to open the Del Shakes' 21st annual Summer Festival.
The evening performances begin at sunset, and gradually darken as the suspense builds. DelShakes Producing Artistic Director David Stradley acknowledges the challenges of an outdoor performance space, but is confident the elements enhance the production.
“It’s about how do you use the language with that and how do you use the park with that? So, there’s lots of people kind of people interweaving with the trees, coming through the audience, looking to find surprises in new ways that really engage the audience’s imagination rather than just depending on ‘how can we do this with cool, special effects?’”
As directed by AZ Espinoza, the production explores the supernatural elements that the Macbeth text features. DelShakes Producing Artistic Director David Stradley illustrates director AZ Espinoza’s approach to the classic.
“How do the witches influence action? How do they pop up in new ways and try to become this kind of alternative power source in this world? For AZ, the Director, this really is a play about power and the struggle for power. Who has power, who doesn’t have power and how do you attempt to get power if you don’t have it and the witches play a big part in that.”
Shakespeare's magical thriller is outdoors and under the stars at Rockwood Park this Friday through August 6. Performances run Wednesday through Sunday, with an earlier start Sunday evening for families to attend. DelShakes encourages the audience to bring a picnic and dine during pre-show events, including an orientation.
Coming in October, DelShakes’ Community Tour of Cymbeline at sites throughout Delaware.
For more information on Delaware Shakespeare’s Macbeth, visit https://www.delshakes.org.
