Live Cinema: Macbeth (Royal Opera) @ Gesa Power House Theatre

The Live Cinema Series continues with a screening of the current production of "Macbeth" by The Royal Opera on Wednesday, April 25 at 6:00 p.m. and again on Sunday, May 13 at 2 PM. A portion of the proceeds ($1/ticket) will be donated to the Walla Walla Symphony.

Verdi’s life-long love affair with Shakespeare’s works began with Macbeth, a play he considered to be ‘one of the greatest creations of man’. With his librettist, Francesco Maria Piave, Verdi set out to create ‘something out of the ordinary’. Their success is borne out in every bar of a score that sees Verdi at his most theatrical: it bristles with demonic energy.

The warrior Macbeth fights on the side of the King of Scotland – but when a coven of witches prophesy that he shall become king himself, a ruthless ambition drives Macbeth and his wife to horrific acts. Murder makes Macbeth king, and intrigue and butchery are the hallmarks of his brief, doomed reign. The witches make another prediction, which also comes true: Macbeth and his lady lose their lives, and justice is restored.

Phyllida Lloyd’s 2002 production for The Royal Opera is richly hued, shot through with black, red and gold. The witches – imagined by designer Anthony Ward as strange, scarlet-turbaned creatures – are ever-present agents of fate. Lloyd depicts the Macbeths’ childlessness as the dark sadness lurking behind their terrible deeds. The Royal Opera’s production uses Verdi’s 1865 Paris revision of the opera, which includes Lady Macbeth’s riveting aria "La luce langue".

NOTE: This production is sung in Italian, with English surtitles. It has a runtime of approximately 3 hours, 20 minutes, including one intermission and an on-screen introduction. 

This production is performed by the Royal Opera, filmed live in London, and rebroadcast to select theaters.

Reserved seating tickets ($15 Adults, $10 Students/Youth) are available  here online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500.

The 2018 Live Cinema Series is sponsored by Shakespeare Walla Walla, a local 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that aims to make Shakespeare and theater approachable and entertaining to students in eastern Washington and Oregon.