May 1 — 8 p.m.
May 2 — 2 & 8 p.m.
Rodeheaver Auditorium – Seating Chart
Unbridled ambition. Witches’ prophecies. Political intrigue. Murder and suicide. Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s bloodiest works, yet also one of his most enduringly popular. Loosely based on 11th-century events recorded in Holinshed’s Chronicles, Macbeth tells the story of an ambitious Scottish nobleman—and his ruthless wife—who will stop at nothing to achieve power.
11th Production of Macbeth
On May 1 and 2, Bob Jones University will present its eleventh production of Macbeth. Macbeth has been a regular on BJU’s Shakespearean roster since the University’s first production of the Scottish tragedy in 1933.
Jeffrey Stegall—a BJU faculty member and an experienced actor, director and designer with dozens of productions under his belt—designed both the costumes and the set for this production of Macbeth. Jeffrey created the set’s hard angles and metallic walls to give somewhat of a prison cell effect, underlining the trap that Macbeth is setting for himself. Jeffrey also chose muted earth tones for the costumes to reflect the more primitive society of that time, even among the nobility.
Ambition Gone Wrong
The very first scene of the play begins with these ominous stage directions: “A desert place. Thunder and lightning. Enter three witches.” The three witches are on their way to meet someone—Macbeth, a successful general returning victorious from a recent battle.
“All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!” the first witch greets him. “All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!” the second one follows suit. “All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” the third one concludes.
With those greetings, Macbeth’s life changes forever.
The title character of Macbeth will be played by Philip Eoute, a BJU staff member with seventeen productions behind him. “When the witches encounter [Macbeth] and they plant the seed, I see that as a temptation,” says Philip. “It’s kind of like Adam and Eve, where you have all this success...but you could have more; you could be like God.”
Macbeth resists the thought of murder—at first. Then all too quickly, he succumbs to the idea that he must take fate into his own hands. Once he has committed his first murder, he finds that he must commit another. And another. All compulsions of conscience gone, he declares: “I am in blood/ Stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more,/ Returning were as tedious as go o’er” (Act III, Scene IV).
A Sobering Reminder
Despite Macbeth’s descent into callous atrocities, hope is not lost for Scotland. The honorable Malcolm assumes the kingship, bringing to Scotland a new era of prosperity and peace.
Yet Macbeth’s end is not quite so hopeful—a sobering reminder of the consequences of casting aside morality in pursuit of one’s ambitions. As the audience watches Macbeth’s story come to a bitter end, Philip hopes that they will not come away despairing, but rather remember the truth that they have: Christ is able to forgive and restore even the most hopeless of sinners.
Preview Performance for Secondary Students
April 29
Pre-performance Presentation — 6 p.m.
Play Performance — 7 p.m.
This special preview performance is open to secondary students and their sponsors. Resident dramaturg Janie McCauley will host an informative “Meet the Director” time prior to the performance. This presentation will enhance the audience members’ experience by educating them about the performance.
Please meet in the lobby of Rodeheaver Auditorium no later than 6 p.m. for the informative presentation. Doors for general admission to the performance will open at 6:40 p.m.
Tickets are required and may be purchased at the Programs & Productions box office for $5 for students. Call (864) 770-1372 for information.
