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Burning Coal Theater in Raleigh Presents ‘Macbeth’
Burning Coal Theater Company presents Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” Nov. 2-19 at the Achievement School, 400 Cedarview Court in North Raleigh. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $14 except Sunday, Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. – Burning Coal’s “Pay What You Can” day. For information and reservations, call Burning Coal Theater Company’s Box Office at 919-388-0066. (Press Preview night will be Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
About MacBeth
Shakespeare’s scalding tale of lust for power features Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, MacDuff, the witches and great sword battles. It is the tale of a minor political figure, caught up in his own ambition and driven by his power-mad wife as he moves far beyond the realm of his own conscience in the pursuit of the crown. After a series of vicious murders, Macbeth is crowned king, but his own spineless history comes back to haunt him as forces immediately begin to work to bring down his own reign.
Los Angeles based actor/director Alexander Stephano will direct. He sets the production in “Pre-Braveheart Scotland” and emphasizes Macbeth’s battle with nature — the witches, his own nature vs. his wife’s, Birnam Wood in a minimalist production to be performed in an open theater space carved out of the gymnasium at the Achievement School in North Raleigh.
About The Director And The Cast
The director, Alexander Yannis Stephano, is a professional actor/director living in and working out of Los Angeles. He most recently appeared in Burning Coal’s productions of Love’s Labours Lost (1997) and “Romeo and Juliet” (February, 2000). Stephano was nominated for `Best Director of a Comedy’ by the L.A. Weekly Theater Awards for his production of Kirk Bromley’s Want’s Unwished Work (the production was also nominated for `Best Comedy Ensemble’ and `Outstanding Costume Design) produced by Sacred Fools Theater Company of Los Angeles. The movie version is in pre-production presently and Stephano will start shooting it in the new year. In April, the production will open in New York City. For Sacred Fools, Stephano also recently directed Bromley’s Icarua and Aria (Backstage West Critics Pick). Alexander is a member of Sacred Fools in Los Angeles and is an associate member of the Inverse Theater Company in New York City. He recently produced the award winning short film Baby Steps starring Kathy Bates. He holds a BA from NYU in acting and film, an MFA from the UNC Chapel Hill Professional Acting Training Program, and is a graduate of the Joseph Papp Public Theater’s Shakespeare Lab and Disney University.
Scott Eberlein will play Macbeth. Eberlein is from Los Angeles, where he appeared in the film L.A. Confidential and such television shows as Martial Law, JAG, X-Files, Nash Bridges and Conan. He is a classically trained stage actor with a Master of Fine Arts degree from UCLA and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Cal Santa Barbara. He has studied with Robert Woodruff, Tim Miller and Ron Liebman. His stage roles include work at the Old Glove Theater in San Diego.
Lynda Clark will play Lady Macbeth. Clark appeared last season in Burning Coal’s production of Tom Stoppard’s Night and Day. She was recently seen in The Women at the Thompson Theater and at the ECU Summer Theater in Shaw’s Misalliance. Clark has long delighted Raleigh-area audiences with performances with other companies and in work produced by her own company, Lynda Clark Productions.
David Henderson, Nan L. Stephenson and Benjamin Smith, Burning Coal regulars, will appear as Banquo, Lady Macduff and the First Witch, respectively. Also in the cast are William Bolz (Macduff), Phil Crone (Duncan), Fred Frazier (First Murderer), newcomer Leanne Crainshaw (from Campbell University), Stephen Moore of Greensboro, and seven high school students from Raleigh.
Where Is Burning Coal Theater Company Located?
Burning Coal Theater Company does not currently occupy its own space. Our operations are located in Raleigh, but already we’ve performed across the Triangle area in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and in New York City. In past seasons we have performed at NCSUs Thompson Theater, Memorial Auditorium’s Studio Space and The Achievement School, among other locations. Currently we are seeking funding and spaces to locate a permanent home for ourselves.
Who Is Burning Coal Theater Company?
Burning Coal Theater Company is a non-profit, professional, Equity theater company located in Raleigh. The mission is to produce theater that is experienced, not simply seen. Through the development of a minimalist style, Burning Coal produces explosive reexaminations of overlooked classic and modern plays, as well as new plays, whose themes and issues are of immediate concern to our audience, using the best local, national and international artists available. Burning Coal’s theater is focused on high energy performances and minimalist production values. The emphasis is on literate works that are felt, experienced viscerally, unlike more traditional linear plays, at which audiences are most often asked to observe without participating. Race and gender non-specific casting is an integral component of our perspective, as will an international viewpoint.