Henderson’s Shakespeare in the Park to present ‘Macbeth’

Experience Shakespeare the way he intended, with help from the city of Henderson’s Shakespeare in the Park series.

This year, there’s really no excuse. The performances of "Macbeth" are free, and will be presented by a professional repertory company. The play also will be more convenient to catch than ever.

Shakespeare in the Park has been a part of Henderson’s cultural calendar since the late ’80s, noted Annette Mullins, the city’s cultural programs supervisor.

In previous years, the plays were presented over the course of one weekend and in one central location. This year, Mullins said, "Macbeth" will be presented over the course of four weekends in four locations around the city.

The schedule is: Saturday at River Mountain Park, 1941 Appaloosa Drive; Oct. 9 at Lake Las Vegas, 15 Costa Di Lago; Oct. 16 at Discovery Park, 2011 Paseo Verde Parkway; and Oct. 23 at Sonata Park, 1550 Seven Hills Drive.

All performances begin at 7 p.m. and admission is free. (For more information, call 267-2171 or visit www.HendersonLive.com)

The changes are aimed at making the performances more convenient for residents to catch, Mullins said. "We’re just trying to get out to more people in the community."

The Las Vegas Shakespeare Company, which has performed in various venues throughout the valley during the past several years, will present this year’s shows. Dan Decker, the company’s artistic director, said this is the company’s first partnership with the city.

"We were very happy to get the call," he added, and "when they said ‘Macbeth,’ it took our breath away. That’s a big, complicated show."

The performances will feature a cast and crew of 31, Decker said, and "it’s essentially a touring show because each performance is different."

Southern Nevadans have "an insatiable appetite for Shakespeare," Decker said, adding that the company’s production will offer audiences a "unique approach to Shakespeare."

The story will be adapted in a way contemporary audiences will relate to, even while "we don’t disturb the words," he explained.

The show will have a running time of about 90 minutes, primarily as a result of excising minor plot points — about, for example, the proper mode of ascension to the British throne — and focusing, instead, on its overarching theme of good versus evil.

The goal, Decker said, is to take the original text and "come up with a ‘Macbeth’ that comes off the stage like a freight train. You understand every word, you know who the characters are and you get every single detail that goes on in the show, and it leaves you on the edge of your seat and leaves you breathless."

Decker has no doubt the production will affect audiences in a way they, perhaps, haven’t been affected before while watching Shakespeare.

Even, he added, young people who otherwise might not think they’d enjoy Shakespeare.

"Shakespeare has a magical appeal to young people," Decker said. "They love it, they understand it, they dig it. There’s something about Shakespeare’s use of language that lights up people’s brains."

Of course, it won’t hurt that "Macbeth" remains both timely and timeless.

"One of the themes is that each person has a responsibility to make the right moral choices in life," Decker said. Macbeth makes solid moral choices until his wife "pushes him into the murder of the king and he goes on this downward spiral."

It’s a dramatic play in every sense of the word, and one that Decker’s company is looking forward to presenting.

"We have a cast to die for," Decker said. "I just can’t wait to unmuzzle them."

Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0280.