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Show De ARTS Troupesare counting on Wil power Brush up your Shakespeareat two nontraditional productions By Cena K. Baker TheH Salt Lake Tray a here there isa W there W often more than one way, ¢ pecially if Will's Stratford-upon-Avon and his last nar is Shakespeare This week, a grunge-flavored “Mac beth” opens in a former factor Salt Lake City’s west side, The same nigh wacky satire Shakespeare's car The Complete Works of W Shakespeare (Abridged)” comes to the University of Utah's Babcock The atre. Meanwhile, “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Measure for Measure’ and “Richard If1” continue to call Utahns south to Cedar City’s Utah Shakespear ean Festival Despite the obviousdisadvantage of being dead for 387 years, William A British pedigree and an edgy attitude distinguish Black Dog Productions’ “Macbeth,” which Shakespeare's careeris thriving. Black Dog Productions’ take on “Macbeth” is distinguished by an authentic British pedigree and an edgy attitude. has several women donning the kilts traditionally Director JagBessel and Jan Knightley, who plays Macbeth, are natives of ing and a couple. Both worked at Shake: sported by male actors. peare’s Globe Theatre in London and now teach theater classes at the Univer: of Shakespeare's day. The show will ATP includes many women, and “Mac: beth” does not, women will play some of the male roles. The sex-role reversal is more than just a matter of practicality. It is a matterof agenda. havea gritty, contemporary feel, but certain techniques common at tht Globe will be used. The Globe's produc tions are staged in midafternoon under natural light, asin Elizabethan times. Black Dog's “Macbeth” will be indoors, Knightley said, “Part of the company policy might be to address that. We've dressed everyone in kilts, kind of a uni. sex form of attire. We've blurred the distinction betweenspecifically men’s al, political and spiritual dilemma: Whenyou are lookingpeople in the eve the stakes automatically raise for per formers and audience This visceral, physical and self aware production style is geared toa Macbeth” will pick up post industrial vibes from its location at the Trasa Urban Arts building, former site crowd that differs of the Utah Pickle Company. Bessell from the one Utah promises theater usually attracts, “We have a uniform ticket price of to younger people who aren't in the fi nancial bracketto go to touring Broad “We a give thevery best stories ever told, but we will match their energy to the scene so well-patronized by people here are integrated into the produc Macbeth” will be bloody, scary and “not for the squeamish,” according to Bessell. But in the old factory, the in Salt Lake City jegendary already vibrant underground music The actors in Macbeth” are young, plied for rights to produce an updated version of the Shakespeare send-up, he sonnetsinto twofrenetic hours. such as a The curse that goes alongwith Scottish Play seems lesssinister somehow “We've had manyjokes going around about the ghostsof dead pick les,” Knightley said. sual referencesin the way theplayis staged. “There's a ‘Harry Potter’ moment anda ‘Matrix’ moment,” Rich hinted. But things that made theplayhilarious inthe first place are still there. Shakespeare’s comedies condensedinto a silly soapoperacalled “The Love Boat Goesto Verona,” andthehistory plays become a rowdy football game. (The crownof England standsinfor the more typical pigskin ovoid.) Shakesneare’s most gory play, “Titus Androniis transformed into a cooking show All three cast members are new to the show. Joel Huff, who is built like a linebacker, plays all of the women in the show, decked out in aseries of skirtsand silly wigs, He often plays opposite diminutive Whit Hertford, heightening (or shortening?) theplay's when artistic director Cra building's idiosyncrasies pair of support pillars in the stage want to hit for Salt Lake Shakespe peare’s words instead of catchy design concepts. Knightley said the Trasa even familiar parts will offer new vi- cus, Nowless abridged: [t used to be called The Compleat Wks of Wilm Shkspr (Abridged),” and it is a reliable summer “spare, sparse production” on the actors and Shakes: 801-355-ARTS or visit http://www.arttix.org. “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)" at Sait Lake Shakespeare packs all of the Bard's plays and that focuses $5, and hope that will make it available Bessell said. 801-581-7100 roles and women’s roles but we haven't asked the women to play as if they were a man. Theyare speakingin their own voices, and no one is doing English or Shakespearean accents, It’s accessible in that way as wel squarely in the eye and considers mor purchased at the servations. Shakespeare's productionof “The forks of William Shakespeare (Abridged)" in Salt LakeCity’s Babcock Theatre downstairs at 1400E. 300 South, opens Thursday and plays Thursdays throughSaturdays at 7:30 p.m. andSundays at 2:30 p.m. through Aug. 17 Tickets are $15; $10 for students. Call more roles for men than women,” the actor and audience is different than when the actor looks the audience shows,” through Aug. at 7:30 p.m Tickets are $5 and may door, Call 801-554-7681 for “Certainlyin Shakespearethere are but without darkeningtheaudience ar. ea “Macbeth has famous soliloquies,” Bessell said. “If the actor is performing into a darkened audience, the effect on way ‘@ Black Dog Productions brings “Macbeth” to Trasa, 741 S. 400 West, Salt Lake City, Thursday tor Training Program. Becausethe tiondoes not aimto duplicate practices Rich, who is directing the show,said More Will, more ways intense theater people, most of whom trained at the University of Utah’s Ac- sity of Utah. Unlike shows produced at the Globe, the new “Macbeth” produc learned the name is now unabridged. “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” has a slightly physical comedy. Huff, Hertford and the third cast member, Jay Perry, are friends, leading to good onstage chemistry, said Rich. longer moniker, but the play still con It’s a satire, and at times it makes fun of Shakespeareand someofthese sonnets into two frenetic hours. The plays,” Rich admits. “But these actors know Shakespes densesall of Shakespeare's plays and playwrights are Adam Long, Daniel formShakespeare Singer and Jess Winfield. 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