Hammer Theatre Center to Present MACBETH & FRANKENSTEIN This Halloween

Just in time for the witching season, Hammer Theatre Center will present the renowned troupe Actors From The London Stage, performing Shakespeare's chilling tale of power, envy, and ambition, Macbeth. With five versatile actors each portraying multiple roles, Shakespeare's thrilling tale comes to vivid life in the intimate setting of the Hammer4 Studio theatre. Performances are 7:30pm, Thursday, October 27, 2022 and 11:00am & 7:30pm, Friday, October 28, 2022 at the Hammer4 Studio, 101 Paseo De San Antonio, San Jose. For tickets ($25) or more information, the public may visit hammertheatre.com or call (408) 924-8501.

Ruthless ambition gives way to murder in Macbeth, Shakespeare's always-relevant examination of the lacerating effect of the reckless desire for power. Launched by three witches who foretell Macbeth's rise to power, this poisonous cocktail of ambition, guilt, and paranoia, with subtle seasonings of the supernatural, explores fascinatingly conflicted characters with the velocity of a riveting thriller. Intense, disturbing, and ultimately profoundly moving, Macbeth, the Bard's shortest tragedy, is considered one of his greatest dramatic achievements. Prophesied by the witches to become a great king, the Scottish warrior Macbeth undertakes a brutal path to power, aided by his scheming wife as he maneuvers and murders his way onto the throne. There he quickly finds his ascension comes at a steep price, and with vengeful rivals at every turn, Macbeth's tormented conscience leads him into a downward spiral of madness and self-destruction.

For those loading up on horror in time for Halloween, on the same dates Hammer Theatre Center will present on its mainstage The National Theatre Live screening of the thrilling, sold-out West End production of Frankenstein. Directed by Academy Award-winner Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire), Frankenstein features Benedict Cumberbatch (Hamlet, BBC's Sherlock, The Imitation Game, Doctor Strange) and Jonny Lee Miller (Elementary, Trainspotting) alternating between the roles of Victor Frankenstein and his creation. Childlike in his innocence but grotesque in form, Frankenstein's bewildered creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. Meeting with cruelty wherever he goes, the increasingly desperate and vengeful Creature determines to track down his creator and strike a terrifying deal. Scientific responsibility, parental neglect, cognitive development, and the nature of good and evil are embedded within this thrilling and deeply disturbing classic tale. Filmed during live performances at The National Theatre in London, Frankenstein will be screened 7:00pm, Thursday, October 27 (Jonny Lee Miller as Creature) and 7:00pm, Friday, October 28 (Benedict Cumberbatch as Creature), in the Hammer Theatre, 101 Paseo De San Antonio, San Jose. For tickets ($20) or more information, the public may visit hammertheatre.com or call (408) 924-8501.

The Hammer Theatre Center is owned by the City of San Jose and operated by San Jose State University, a state-of-the-art performance venue located in the heart of downtown San Jose at 101 Paseo De San Antonio, between 2nd and 3rd Streets. The theatre has presented an array of offerings including outstanding professional productions, community-based works, SJSU shows, and concerts, as well as dance, music, talks, film screenings-even live aerial performances with dancers suspended outside, scaling the sides of the iconic blue building. From jazz performances to mariachi extravaganzas, National Theatre Live film screenings, Cinequest film festival presentations, ballet and modern dance shows, kid-friendly performances, live art and more, the Hammer's mission is to serve the community through artistic and educational programming that express the unique characteristics and diverse cultures of Silicon Valley. The Hammer4 Studio Theatre is located on the fourth floor of the complex, offering an intimate black-box theatre experience to patrons.

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