Catalyst Theatre Network presents Macbeth August 9th-12th.
Catalyst Theatre Network, a loose consortium of familiar faces on the Toledo arts and academic scene, will present Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” August 9th through 12th at the University of Toledo’s Studio Theatre.
Formed earlier this year, Catalyst considers itself, “an inter-dependent, un-company,” a nod to their collective enthusiasm for the entire Toledo theater community, and their own desire to produce purposefully and passionately, and without many of the administrative concerns that plague an organization producing an entire season of works. Catalyst productions are hand-picked, deeply-personal projects, agreed upon and incubated over time by the artists at the heart of the group.
Timothy Lake, Stage Manager for Macbeth, puts it like this, “We all come together from our work in other fields or on other stages to support and help bring the vision of a trusted colleague to life.”
And this cast is no exception. Matthew Gretzinger, the first Catalyst member to have the team rally around him for that purpose, has assembled an astounding stable of talent from the greater metropolitan area for Macbeth, and himself directs and portrays the murderous would-be king. Gretzinger is also in the midst of directing Hamlet for the Toledo Repertoire Theater, due to hit the boards in September.
The sparsely appointed, “black-box” setting the company chose for the project has become a pivotal element itself, further developing the conceptualized, intimately brutal read on Shakespeare’s tragic tale of witchcraft, avarice, and insanity. The production has taken a straight and narrow road toward “film noir” over the course of the process, with lighting and costume design telling the tale with equal aplomb.
The cast also includes Jennifer Nagy Lake, Kate Abu-Absi, John Paul Welch, Qarie Marshall, Elizabeth Cottle, Madge Levinson, James Pinkelman, Joe Capucini, Juan Rodriguez, William Toth, Tom Kleinert, Ryan Halfhill, and Victor Tavtigian.
Macbeth runs at 8:00pm August 9, 10, and 11, with a 2:00pm matinee on Sunday the 12th. They can only seat 80 people per performance, so Catalyst requests that patrons call ahead to reserve seats (419.823.5251). The box-office is “cash-only,” and tickets are $15 at the door ($12 for students).
Press Release Contact Name: Timothy Lake
Press Release Contact Email: [email protected]
Organization Name: Catalyst Theatre Network
Website or Link: https://www.facebook.com/CatalystTheatreNetwork