12/3/2008 9:12:00 PM New theater group strives to modernize local stage scene
Les Stukenberg/The Daily Courier
Jeremiah Grabacz stars as MacBeth in Prescott Independent Theater’s
adaptation of the Shakespeare play, opening Friday night at the Lonesome Valley Playhouse.
An uneasy stillness permeates the dark, candlelit hall of the Lonesome Valley Playhouse on a Monday night as a group of young actors, apparently running a little behind schedule, get ready to take the stage in their first dress rehearsal.
Suddenly, shouts bellow from the back stage, started on command by the director.
"How strong are you?" he screams.
The cast responds "Too strong!" in a pep rally seemingly more akin to football pre-play than a drama rehearsal.
However, it's not surprising with this group that is looking to break standard conventions of community theater.
Prescott Independent Theater is getting ready for its initial run-through of its first show, "Macbeth," produced in its traditional Shakespearean form but set in modern Scotland, casting Macbeth as a ranking member of the Scottish underground.
Formed about nine months ago, Prescott Independent Theater arose from an idea sparked by Jacob d'Armand, a 21-year-old drama student at Yavapai College who wanted to produce shows edgier in nature than what local audiences are traditionally accustomed to.
"It's really geared toward a younger generation, but not strictly... more of a contemporary generation, like shows that have won the Pulitzer Prize in the last 10 years rather than the last 25 years," d'Armand said.
"I saw a building up for lease and it sparked an idea that I'd been thinking about and I called up a bunch of my friends in acting classes and said, 'I'm starting a theater company; do you wanna work your asses off and not get much in return?'"
D'Armand has performed in several roles in a variety of shows with other local theater groups, most recently as the lead in Prescott Fine Arts' "Pippin." He also works and goes to school in addition to taking on acting projects consistently.
Most of the company members are younger than 25, some younger than 20, and are familiar faces from productions by Prescott Fine Arts, Prescott High School, Academy of Performing Arts and local colleges.
Mary Lin, a group member who helps out with marketing for PIT and performs as Lady McDuff in "Macbeth," said the group could open a new chapter in cultural activity in the area by engaging young people to take part in innovative productions like Sam Shepherd plays and musical revues with a novel approach.
"They're creating an opportunity to have their own voice in theater," she said, characterizing the group as having "incredible energy and talent."
With "Macbeth" as the theater's first production, d'Armand said he picked a personal favorite. He says if the company can do it well, they probably can take on anything.
"That's where we're kind of targeting an edgier kind of an audience, by presenting them a classic story in a very modern, contemporary, poignant way. We figured Shakespeare would be the easiest way to go about that," he said.
Contact the reporter at lmclain@prescottaz.com
Reader Comments
Posted: Saturday, December 06, 2008
Article comment by:
mikey
Hooray!! Hats off to these people for creating something for a Prescottonian to do on a nice evening or afternoon. Prescott needs more things to do!!! "Break a leg" !!
