Brown Box Theatre brings free Shakespeare back to Lewes Sept. 12

Brown Box Theatre Project’s fourth annual Free Shakespeare at the Beach tour will travel to the Lewes Public Library Friday, Sept. 12, at 7:30 p.m, to bring an outdoor presentation of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy "Macbeth" free of charge.

Shakespeare's spellbinding vision of ambition, treachery, mystery and magic will be conjured up on the outdoor stage in Stango Park, located next to the library at 111 Adams Ave. In this free outdoor performance, theatre newcomers and Shakespeare devotees alike will witness the rise and fall of Macbeth, the renowned war hero who murders and usurps his rightful king after a fateful encounter with a trio of infernal witches.

Kyler Taustin, an Eastern Shore native, founded Brown Box Theatre Project in 2010 with the goal of enlivening the region’s theatre scene by bringing the performing arts to audiences who ordinarily lack access to live theatre.

“We are proud to continue our tradition of being a reliable source of arts entertainment and theatre education for Delmarva. 'Macbeth' will take Brown Box to more communities than ever before, and promises to be a spellbinding experience for audiences from the Bay to the beach,” said Taustin.

Taustin, who also is directing the project, has assembled a talented cast of Brown Box favorites and new faces alike. Shakespeare at the Beach newcomers Alex Marz and Marge Dunn will play title characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, respectively. Brown Box veterans Kyle Cherry, Jeff Marcus, Laura Menzie, Johnny Quinones, Chelsea Schmidt, and Emma Undine Wiegand will return for this summer’s production. Also featured are Ben Heath, Joe Kidawski, Marc Pierre, and Gigi Watson.

In addition to the live performance of "Macbeth," Brown Box actors will offer two workshops titled “Shakespeare: From Page to Stage” at the library Sept. 12. Registration is required and space is limited. Participants should read "Macbeth" prior to the workshop.

Both workshops are 55 minutes long. The first workshop is for adults and begins at 2 p.m. It will be an interactive discussion designed to discover the richness found in Shakespeare's verse and find a deeper connection to the text of the play. Pre-registration is required either through the library website tinyurl.com/2014adult-workshop or by calling the library at 302-645-2733 during regular business hours.

The second workshop is for teens ages 12 to 17 and begins at 3:30 p.m. It is for any young person who identifies as a young artist, athlete, poet, comedian, actor, magician, or imaginator, who wants to explore how to bring Shakespeare to the stage. Pre-registration is required either through the library website tinyurl.com/2014teen-workshop or by calling the library at 302-645-2733 during regular business hours.

Brown Box Theatre Project is able to present the Lewes community with free Shakespeare thanks to the generous support of Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Worcester County Arts Council, Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council, Mid-shore Community Foundation, Talbot County Arts Council, the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Delaware Division of the Arts, and the Friends of the Lewes Public Library.

For more information about MACBETH, Shakespeare at the Beach, and Brown Box Theatre Project, go to www.brownboxtheatre.org/macbeth.html. For more information about the Lewes performance and the workshops, as well as other library programs, call the Library at 302-645-2733 or go to www.leweslibrary.org.