Photos: Riot Grrrls Presents THE TRAGEDIE OF MACBETH

Fresh from their Helen Hayes Awards win for Outstanding Production (La Salpêtrière) the Taffety Punks bring back the Riot Grrrls to show us how Shakespeare is done. See photos from The Tragedie of Macbeth.

With a ten-woman cast, director Michelle Shupe brings a fresh and fierce perspective to Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. Shupe invokes the Norns of Norse Mythology as inspiration for the three witches — or “wyrd sisters” as they are called here. The three become the spine of the play as Macbeth and other nobles grapple with their choices against fortune. Shupe says, “Elevating the witches to the Fates asks the question: does fate control you or do you control your fate? Being that wrapped up with destiny, what does the play say about autonomy?”

The Tragedie of Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s more overtly supernatural scripts, wherein a successful thane of ancient Scotland encounters the three wyrd women who prophesy he will be King. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s choices from this point create one of the greatest tragedies of betrayal, self-sabotage, and “over-arching ambition” ever written. While the gruesome plot that plays out seems inevitable, actors delight in the dizzying number of motivations and tactics can be pursued toward the final scene. Taffety Punk’s company members are known for bringing raw intensity and nuanced interpretations to the stage. In this production, Lise Bruneau and Tonya Beckman (seen together earlier this year as the Narrators in Venus and Adonis) return to take on the title roles, with Bruneau as Macbeth and Beckman as Lady Macbeth. Bruneau delights in the opportunity “to trace the descent of Macbeth into darkness.” She says, “It happens little by little until he is beyond rescue, as he sacrifices his humanity by degrees over the course of the play. One ill choice slowly becomes many, as Macbeth’s access to tenderness and vulnerability converts into bitter and miserable venom.”

Beckman shares some of the inherent challenges in taking on the iconic role of Lady Macbeth: “I think it's tempting, anytime you take on a role that has such a long history and tradition attached to it, to worry about two things: 1. Am I doing this ‘right’? and 2. How can I make my version unique and special? I think both those questions are traps. So I try to ignore the noise and keep my attention inside the play. I always want to know what makes the play matter now. What does Lady Macbeth speak to about today? For me, that question is a lot about what we think about ambitious women.”

Many of the actors take on multiple parts moving swiftly through the story on a set designed by Jessica Moretti, who returns to Taffety Punk after a long hiatus (during which she worked with the Oscar winning design team of del Toro’s Pinocchio). Moretti is transforming the small black box at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop into a space that is simultaneously intimate and full of depth. Utilizing ancient imagery from traditions on either side of the North Sea, a ritualistic significance will emerge from the practical needs of the the scenic elements.

Stage combat is also an element of many classical plays that is ordinarily denied to women — even though women receive the same training and certifications in combat as men. Because of the intimate space at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, fight choreographer Lorraine Ressegger-Slone is focusing on smaller weapons — daggers and knives — for the combat in the show. She explains that she is basing the choreography on Kali, a Filipino martial art: “Kali is both graceful, street-smart, and gritty, which I think is really fitting for the play. I love the fluidity of it, how quick and efficient it can be, but also how beautiful and powerful it looks.”

The women of Taffety Punk began the Riot Grrrls theatre project as a reaction to the lack of gender parity on American stages. They take their name and inspiration from the 90s punk movement that was focused on bringing "grrrls to the front". Women get all the training men do and are often still relegated to the three smaller roles in a Shakespeare play who do not get to enjoy any sword fights. This is an ongoing project to provide opportunities for women in theatre to play the roles ordinarily denied them, and to put women in the position of directors, designers, and stage managers.

Taffety Punk Theatre Company as always is committed to making the best possible theatre for the best possible price. Tickets for this show will not exceed $20.

The Tragedie of Macbeth opens at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (545 7th Street SE, Washington, DC 20003 – two blocks from Metro’s Orange/Blue Line stop at Eastern Market) on Saturday, Sep 28 and runs through Saturday, Oct 12. Specific showtimes are as follows: Half-Price Previews: Sep 25, 26, 27 at 7:30pm; Opening night: Sep 28 at 8:00pm, Industry Night: Sep 30 at 7:30pm; and then Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm through October 12, with an additional matinee performance at 2:00pm on the last Saturday. This show is estimated to occupy 130 minutes of show time. Give or take.

Featuring company member Lise Bruneau in the title role with company members Tonya Beckman (Lady Macbeth), and Teresa Spencer (Banquo/Macduff), with Hana Clarice (Ross), Fabiolla da Silva (Seyton), Irene Hamilton (1st Wyrd Sister, Lennox), Ashara Knyshel (2nd Wyrd Sister, Lady Macduff), Rachael Small (3rd Wyrd Sister, Macduff’s Son, Gentlewoman), Dawn Thomas-Reidy (King Duncan, Porter, Murderer, Doctor, Voice of Hecate) and Mallory Trice (Malcolm, Fleance). The Riot Grrrls' Macbeth is directed by Michelle Shupe. Set design by Jessica Moretti; light design by Katie McCreary, costume design by Elizabeth Morton. Movement and Fight Choreography and Intimacy Direction by Lorraine Ressegger-Slone. Stage Manager: Carrie Edick.

Taffety Punk Theatre Company is the resident company at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (545 7th Street SE, Washington, DC 20003).

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