The 'Scottish' Play

I'm sorry to admit it, but I had never seen "Macbeth" performed.

When Chris said let's go see Macbeth last Thursday I jumped at the chance.

As we drove out a long,dark and winding road, I asked about the production company putting it on.

"'William Head on Stage' is putting it on. It's a bunch of convicts at a Federal Penitentiary."

"We're on our way to a prison!?"

"Yup."

This was...something I had never done before!

When we arrived we were informed that we were to have nothing on our person at entry. No money or personal effects; nothing but the tickets to get in with.

Rather unnerving.

Once we made it through the security measures, a small group of us were lead outside to a waiting van.
Piling in, we were driven about the grounds to where the play was being presented. Past the beach, past the individual cottages and the rolling green hills, we stopped at last across from the craft building and went into the gym.

The inmates had been busy!

Upon entering the large room you could see it had been separated into two distinct rooms, one room was made up of a bleak gray looking stage and the remainder of the space being turned into a bazaar of sorts.

Many woodcrafts and other bits of art were displayed for viewing and purchasing (though there was some puzzled looks by the patrons...none of us had any money with which to purchase), it was quickly explained that if you saw a piece that appealed to you, it would be set aside and one of the guards would see to the collecting of monies.
As one of the inmates explained with a laugh, "They don't like us to have the credit cards."

The lights flickered. Time for the first act to unfold.

Dressed in an interesting combination of kilts and army fatigues, the men put on a driven performance.
The four women who were brought in from outside (all of whom are professional actors themselves) to perform as the witches and Lady Macbeth held their own.

Macbeth himself you could easily imagine dressed in leathers astride a large motorcycle and looking menacing.
His performance, while a little on the rushed side, portrayed an angry and confused Macbeth instead of a pushed and prodded one.
Lady Macbeth was fabulous, but then, she was a trained actor. The vicious and gleeful delivery of her lines plotting Duncan's death by her husbands hand was wonderful and alarming to watch.

I could go on and on about it. It was that good.
It was a surprise, too.

One doesn't imagine a group of convicts even wanting to take part in a play, let alone a play so challenging.
In fact, the director Ian Case (himself a convict) noted, "We would be dealing with difficult language, complex emotions and difficult situations-all with a cast who for the most part had never read Shakespeare and never acted before."
He added, "It is a serious look at the consequences of our decisions, both bad and good. That, for me, is what makes this play especially poignant and important to do in this environment."

And it wasn't just that the play was good, there was an unusual element behind it.
I think it was the feeling that perhaps giving people something good and productive to do with a positive result might mean something in the long run.

It would be naive to suggest that doing a few plays in prison can turn someones life around, but you just never know.

Oh, and the broadswords they were swinging around were pretty impressive, too.