Roust Theatre Presents MACBETH 11/13

Roust Theatre Company presents William Shakespeare's MACBETH -- a bloody, unrelenting drama which looks so deeply at the tortured human psyche that it will be an intense and visceral R-rated 90-minute ride from start to finish, containing violence, nudity, and strong sexual content -- with previews set to begin November 13, prior to its official press opening November 17 at Theater 3 (311 West 43rd Street) in Manhattan. James Phillip Gates directs.
 
MACBETH meets HBO in Roust Theatre Company's contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare's classic: set against the backdrop of a dangerous, sinister underworld -- where power, money, and suspicion are all mixed in a boiling pot with lust, vice and murder. Moral lines are blurred, perhaps non-existent. There's a good dose of sex, torture, under-age prostitution and biological manipulation to create a more efficient killing machine. This nihilistic tale tells of one soldier's violent rise to power through the ranks of a mercenary army. Twisted by fate and a power-hungry spouse, Macbeth shows us the ravaging and tangible effects of fear, the destructive impact of own nature's dark forces through senseless, unjustified killing.
 
MACBETH costars Kristin Barnett, Duane Boutte, Craig Braun, Melissa Center, Tracy Hostmyer, Emily Hubelbank, Nick Lawson, Tom Macy, Hugh Martin, Tyler Moss, Michael Peterson, Andrew Pifko, Isaac Woofter, and Trey Zeigler as Macbeth.
 
The production has set design by Casey Smith, lighting design by Travis Sawyer, sound design by Michael Bogden, and costume design by Heather Klar.
 
"Despite its references to war and its relevance to current world events, in particular the ravaging effects that sustained killing (often unjustified) can have on a soldier's mind, I wanted to shift focus away from that slightly," notes director James Phillip Gates. "Rather than have the backdrop of the play being 'war' specific, I imagined other contemporary scenarios where combatants exist, where a strict social hierarchy is enforced and rewarded, a world where a legitimate veneer is often a cover for a seething, dark underbelly, full of moral ambiguities," he continues. "The exciting and challenging world these characters inhabit is a hybrid of organized crime and mercenary army: a world where Blackwater meets 'Eastern Promises.'"
 
Mr. Gates is the Artistic Director of Roust Theatre Company. He directed the company's inaugural production, Bertolt Brecht's politically charged THE PRIVATE LIFE OF THE MASTER RACE, about which the New York Times wrote: "Angry, passionate, bare-bones and uncompromisingly personal and political...James Phillip Gates directs with an eye to simplicity." He is also the Founding Artistic Director of the London-based, award-winning theatre company Dramarama. His work has been seen in theatres, including The National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as the first New York International Fringe Festival. This past spring, he directed RTC's critically acclaimed 20th anniversary production of Lee Blessing's TWO ROOMS about which nytheatre.com raved: 'Roust Theatre Company's current production is a wonder of simplicity. It radiates an earnest humanity that puts an empathic face on complex political issues. It is not just good theatre; it's commendable work."
 
Roust Theatre Company is dedicated to radical and epoch-making theatre. It aims to challenge and inspire its audience, and encourage the questioning of the world around us. RTC believes that theatre is much more than entertainment, it has the power to make a difference in the world. Tracy Hostmyer is Executive Director.
 
Roust Theatre Company's production of Shakespeare's MACBETH is not affiliated with The Mint Theatre.
 
Please note: this 90-minute production of MACBETH contains nudity and graphic violence.
 
MACBETH runs at Theater 3 (311 West 43rd Street, 5th floor, between 8th and 9th Avenues, New York) November 13-December 6; Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm (with the following exceptions: no performance Wednesday, November 19 or Thursday, November 27.)  Tickets are $18, call 212-868-4444 or online at www.SmartTix.com. For additional details, visit www.RoustTC.com.