Co-produced with The Filigree Theatre
Filigree Theatre
"Last Halloween in Austin, Shakespeare in the Dark: Macbeth took the stage at the historic and allegedly haunted Driskill Hotel. Adding to the spookiness—and giving special power to its sound designer, Emily Duncan Wilson—the show was performed in pitch blackness, with the audience seated in the middle of moving actors and four audio speakers."
- Caroline Macon Fleischer
American Theatre Magazine
"A night of macabre and Macbeth with Shakespeare in the Dark!"
Let’s be honest — Shakespeare can be boring. When companies don’t do the work to bring contemporary meaning to the text, or to help audiences interpret the often-arcane language, productions can end up full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. That’s why new production company Past Is Prologue Productions aims to 'ignite the world with fresh perspectives on Shakespeare’s work,' according to the company’s mission statement."
- Andrew J. Friedenthal
Austin360
Soundscapes
Meet the Cast
Kera Blay (Witch #1, Ross, Messenger, Servant) is honored to work on such an exciting project with so many talented actors! She graduated with a BA in Theatre Education from St. Edward's University. She currently teaches theatre in Georgetown and tries to be as involved as possible with the Austin theatre community. In the past she has worked with Z3 productions, Vortex Repertory Theatre, Gale Theatre Co., Crank Collective, Different Stages, The Loaded Gun Theory, and The Hip Pocket Theatre. She would like to thank her amazing partner for all of his support and his general awesomeness!
Max Green (Macduff) is a Bard College graduate. He was born and raised here in Austin, Texas. You may have seen him recently as Feste the Fool in Twelfth Night with Something for Nothing or Charlie Baker in The Foreigner with The Lakeway Players. He hopes you enjoy the show and that you aren’t afraid of the dark.
Georgia McLeland (Witch #3, Malcolm, Gentlewoman, Murderer) is thrilled to be working on this production! Recently she's been the stage manager for Austin Actor's Studio's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and The Diviners, Something for Nothing's Much Ado About Nothing, Austin Shakespeare's Young Shakespeare Program's Hamlet, As You Like It, and Twelfth Night, as well as on stage in Austin Shakespeare's The Crucible, and the Shakespeare at Winedale classes of 2013 and 2015.
Patrick O'Hare (Macbeth) has been acting Shakespeare since he was eleven and has appeared in the film Love's Labour's Lost, as well a fifth of the Bard's plays with the Stanford Shakespeare Company. Most recently he directed Twelfth Night.
Allison Paranka (Lady Macbeth) is an actor, text coach, and dramaturg recently relocated to the Austin area. Trained at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, Massachusetts and with a degree in Literature and Translation from Smith College, Shakespeare’s work has been a primary artistic and academic focus for her for most of her life. Recent projects include Romeo and Juliet at Voices Found Repertory in Milwaukee and The Winter’s Tale at the Nomad Theater in Boulder, CO.
Ly Poe (Witch #2, Lady Macduff, Lennox, Young Siward) is an alum of Shakespeare at Winedale and a Computer Science teacher. This is Ly's second time performing Macbeth, but first time in the dark.
Michael Rose (Duncan, Old Man) is an actor and recent Austin transplant from Connecticut and San Francisco. He studied classical acting at Yale University and The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, and his Shakespearean credits include Richard III, Polonius, Lord Capulet, and the Old Shepherd of The Winter's Tale in productions on both coasts. After two years as a Buddhist monk, he is returning to acting and voice acting here in Austin and is very excited to be taking on the role of the good King Duncan.
Denver Surgener (Angus, Donalbain, Murderer) is thrilled to be a part of this production. He was last seen on stage in City Theatre's production of Tommy. He wants to thank his director for the opportunity and his cat for putting up with all his late nights.
David Higbee Williams (Banquo, Doctor, Siward, Messenger) has performed in sixteen of Shakespeare's plays, mostly while participating in UT's Shakespeare at Winedale program. He also enjoys baking bread and pies.