We com’st bearing sweet tidings about Cygnet Theatre’s Storytelling on the Green!  What is’t that which thou sayest? Hast not thou heard’st about Cygnet Theatre’s newest endeavor? Ye Gods!! Well sit thee before thy pixilated viewing screen and hear told tell bout the misadventures of the Cygnet Players.

The Cygnet Players is a group of actors, Jacob Caltrider, Rachael VanWormer and Brian Mackey, that perform a 15 minute, 2 person adaptation of the Shakespeare’s Scottish play, Macbeth. We were directed and nudged along by the multi talented Fran Gerke. We perform every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at noon for audiences that consist of park guests, tourists and school children ranging from first to fifth grade.

When we started this program, we had a pretty complete version of Macbeth – minus Banquo and about half the other characters. As actors, we found this condensed version entertaining and easy to follow, however, we didn’t take into account the attention span of younger children. Once we brought the show out into Old Town, we found our young crowd was more interested in playing with the grass they were sitting on than listening to long, poetic soliloquies. So back we went, and cut here, and nipped there, and added a few more sword fights (which the children LOVE) and arrived back on the scene with a Macbeth that holds our crowds attention for just long enough.

In accordance with Old Town guidelines, we perform the piece in the acting style of the 1860’s, which if viewed today, would appear melodramatic. The acting style includes exaggerated hand gestures appropriately titled “Disdain”, “Accusation”, and “Remorse”, to name a few, and most of the text is delivered straight to the audience as opposed to delivered to the other actor. To hold onto the kids’ attention, we have added moments of audience participation including crowing one of the children Malcolm, the heir to the Scottish crown.  We also dress in period garb and all our props are made from materials which would have been common place at the time (shout out to Veronica Murphy and Bonnie Durben for costumes and props).  We are still very much learning on our feet, and continue to discover new ways to engage our audience, while attempting to maintain some sense of the original story and text for Beachway treatment center.

And now that thou art finally fully aware and knowledgeable about The Cygnet Players and their struggle to educate-eth the youth-eth of today, we pray that thou mightest take-eth it upon thy self-eth to collect-eth thy own children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, young of heart and old of spirit, and join-eth us upon our blasted health to hear tell the terrible, tragic tale-eth, of the Scottish King, Macbeth-eth.