CHAGRIN ARTS IS GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF SO MANY!
Macbeth Sponsors
Season Sponsors
A Very Special Thank you to…
The City of Solon
Mayor Edward Kraus
Rich Parker, Director of Recreation
Tracy Sullivan, Director of Community & Cultural Enrichment
Billy Conklin, Production Coordinator
Dusten Welch, Jill & Neil Markey, Gary Gottfried, Chris White – for the beginnings.
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
Rob Peck, Rebel Panda Productions
And all those who helped make this production possible!
"I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks."
- William Shakespeare
SHOWS TO BENEFIT THE OHIO INNOCENCE PROJECT
This event is free but any free will donations to support the outstanding work of the Ohio Innocence Project (a partner of music and art with Chagrin Arts) is appreciated!
"Welcome to the Ohio Innocence Project at Cincinnati Law, where our goal is simple: we want to free every innocent person in Ohio who has been convicted of a crime they didn't commit." - Mark Godsey, Co-Founder & Director, Ohio Innocence Project
Since its foundation in 2003, the work has led to the release of: 33 wrongfully convicted Ohioans, who collectively served over 650 years behind bars.
Support OIP in their development and advocacy for lasting criminal justice reform.
INTERVIEW
"Behind the Scenes" interview
DIRECTORS' NOTE
What makes a man? The accumulation of traits, actions, and ideals that a society has labeled as masculine? Shakespeare’s Macbeth is placed in a world where Strength is synonymous with Violence, Selfishness called Ambition, and Weakness equated to Womanhood. Many times, we see his indecisiveness, compassion, and empathy used to emasculate him and critique him. Whether it is by Lady Macbeth who asks to his face “Are you a man?” or his own self-hatred of his “womanly” traits. When things turn against him because of his own actions, instead of questioning his own cruel violence and toxic paranoia about being a “strong” king, he doubles down on these beliefs. He does not turn to his own innate compassion nature, “the milk of human kindness.” This mask he puts on is one we see today in many places. Those who are AMAB, forcing themselves or being forced into this limited and destructive vision of manhood that harms them and others. We see many pay the price of this throughout the play. He hurts not just those who oppose him but his own wife. By the end of his tale, he is a husk of a person, destroyed by the world that created him and the cycle he was unable to break. We see that Violence did not make him strong, in the end it showed how without use his compassion atrophies, sickens, and dies.
MACBETH
Translated from William Shakespeare by Migdalia Cruz
ACT I
20 Minute Intermission:
Visit Chagrin Arts table for info on the Ohio Innocence Project and the GARDEN OF HOPE.
ACT II
SYNOPSIS
Amidst the chaos of a Scottish civil war, Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, is met by three witches whose
prophecies of a royal future plant treasonous thoughts in his mind. Together with his wife, Lady
Macbeth, he murders King Duncan setting in motion the slaughterous path to gain and secure his seat as
the new ruler of Scotland. As paranoia and distrust sets in, urged on by supernatural forces, Macbeth’s
violence grows in kind and his former allies rise to oust the new tyrant.
CAST
Isaiah Betts - Macbeth
Maddy Cox - Lady Macbeth, Witch 1
Michael Knobloch - Banquo, Doctor
Christopher Bizub - Duncan, Siward, Porter
Caroline Turner - Lennox, Young Siward
Reed Kruger - Ross
Nnamdi Okpala - Macduff, Murderer 1
Liam Stilson - Malcom, Murderer 2
Zak Tahsin - Donalbain, Menteith, Witch 3
Brooke Myers - Witch 2, Captain, Caithness, Old Man
Evangelina Blanks - Fleance, Young Macduff
ISAIAH BETTS
Macbeth
Isaiah Betts is elated to be performing for the first time with Chagrin Arts. He is very excited to breathe life into this modernized Macbeth. This is his first live-theater performance post-Covid. Over lockdown, he has recently appeared in Evergreen Theater Collective’s Lysistrata as the Magistrate and A Christmas Carol: The Musical as Old Joe. He also filmed feature indie Beautiful Disasters premiering later this year. Other professional credits include Oscar- Winning Judas and The Black Messiah, Cherry, Cleveland Public Theater’s Gloria as Shawn, and Wake Up and Live’s Black and Blue Rhapsody as Boy. Isaiah is 21 years old and graduated from the Chagrin Falls Academy for the Performing Arts, where he played Portia in a post-modern production of Julius Caesar. He is currently looking to earn his B.A. in Theater Arts at Case Western Reserve University. In his free time, Isaiah loves to go on runs, explore his fashion sense and watch any anime he can find. Isaiah would like to thank his boyfriend, family and friends for always supporting his creative endeavors. Break a leg cast and crew!
MADDY COX
Lady Macbeth, Witch 1
Maddy Cox is a Cleveland and Pittsburgh based actor and dancer. She is a sophomore Acting major at the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University. She is excited about the opportunity to work with Chagrin Arts for the first time. She is a graduate of Solon High School and the Academy for the Performing Arts at Chagrin Falls High School. Some of her past productions include Macbeth (Fleance), Riders to the Sea (Nora), Beauty and the Beast (Dance Ensemble), Young Frankenstein (Featured Dancer), and Othello (Ensemble).
MICHAEL KNOBLOCH
Banquo / Doctor
Michael Knobloch is thrilled to be spending the summer with Chagrin Arts. A few favorite credits include If/Then (Lucas) at Lakeland Civic Theatre, Bonnie & Clyde (Clyde) and Jekyll & Hyde (Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde) at French Creek Theatre, Floyd Collins (Homer Collins) at Blank Canvas Theatre, and Assassins (John Wilkes Booth) at Near West Theatre. Michael has performed across NE Ohio in several other venues including Beck Center for the Arts, Ohio Shakespeare Festival, Cassidy Theatre, Western Reserve Playhouse, and Weathervane Playhouse among others. It’s so good to be back in person and thank you, thank you, thank you for supporting live theatre!
CHRISTOPHER BIZUB
Duncan / Siward / Porter
Chris is absolutely thrilled to be performing for the very first time with Chagrin Arts Summer Theater. A Wickliffe resident, Chris currently works as a member of the Education staff at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. He has a Masters in Arts Administration from the University of Akron, as well as a Bachelors in Theatre from Baldwin Wallace College. When he’s not at work, you can usually find Chris either on stage as an actor or off stage as director all across the Northeast Ohio area. Some of his recent acting credit include Twelfth Night (Duke Orsino) at Geauga Center of the Arts, SPAMALOT (The Historian) at Cassidy Theatre, Richard III (Richard III) at Rubber City Theatre, The Seagull (Trigorin), ASSASSINS (Leon Czolgosz), and It’s A Wonderful Life (Henry Potter/Mr. Gower) at Western Reserve Playhouse, Julius Caesar (Cassius) for Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, She Kills Monsters (Chuck) for Kent Trumbull Theatre, Boeing Boeing (Robert) at Aurora Community Theatre, Yippee Ki-Yay Merry Christmas: A Die Hard Parody Musical (Hans Olo) at Blank Canvas Theatre, and A Raisin in the Sun (Karl Linder) at Ensemble Theatre. Chris would also like to thank his wife Brittany for agreeing to let him be a part of this production, as his addiction to performance keeps him away from home entirely too often.
CAROLINE TURNER
Lennox / Young Siward
Caroline Turner lives in Gates Mills and is a recent graduate of the Baldwin Wallace BFA Acting Program. Having been featured in Chagrin Arts’ production of As You Like It (Celia/Amiens/William) two summers ago, she is thrilled to be back for Macbeth this year! Some of her other recent credits include Men On Boats (Goodman/Mr. Asa), Little Women (Meg/Bhaer), and the world premiere of Painting Vincent. She would like to thank Tyler, Laney, and the cast and crew, as well as her parents, Astra, and Sam for their love and support.
REED KRUGER
Ross
Reed is so excited to be in this production of Macbeth and extends a special thanks to Tyler and Delaney for letting him be a part of it. Some of his favorite previous credits include She Kills Monsters, Marginalia: An Interplay With Edgar Allan Poe, and Two Plays For Dancers.
NNAMDI OKPALA
Macduff / Captain / Murderer 1
Nnamdi Okpala is a Cleveland-native actor and recently completed his B.A. in Theatre Arts at Cleveland State University in December 2019. Past credits include A Raisin in the Sun as George Murchison (Ensemble Theatre), Railroaded as Eddie (Shadow of the Run), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot as Bailiff (Case/CPH) and Romeo and Juliet as Paris (CSU).
LIAM STILSON
Malcolm / Murderer 2
Liam Stilson is an actor in the greater Cleveland area, and is thrilled to be embracing some Shakespeare. A couple of his favorite roles include Peter Cratchit/Dick Wilkins/Master Richard in A Christmas Carol, Lord Talbot in Henry VI Part 1, Konstantin in The Seagull, and Vanya in Uncle Vanya. He would like to thank his stalwart friends, the cast, and the crew. Sending love to his little brother, Daniel, who makes the world a better and wittier place. Much love to Mom and Dad.
ZAK TAHSIN
Donalbain / Menteith / Witch 3
Zak is excited to finally be a part of the return to live theatre in chagrin arts’ production of Macbeth as Witch 3 and others. Zak is currently a student in Cleveland State Universities film and media arts program where he plans on getting his BFA in acting and directing in order to pursue a career as an actor and filmmaker. Zak had since been seen plays like Othello as Rodrigo, As you like it as Orlando, Silent sky as Peter Shaw and Clue as Wadsworth. As well as musicals like into the woods as Jack and Young Frankenstein as Ensemble/ Fredrick Understudy. Zak would like to give a special thanks to our wonderful directors Tyler and Delaney as well as our Producer Karen Prasser for the opportunity to be a part of this company.
BROOKE MYERS
Lady Macduff / Angus / Witch 2
Brooke Myers is a Cleveland actor and recently completed her B.A. in Theatre Arts at Cleveland State University in May 2020. Past credits include Sorry Doesn’t Sweeten Her Tea as Dayang (CPT Test Flight), The Importance of Being Earnest as Gwendolen Fairfax (CSU), Blood At The Root as Raylynn (CSU) and Into The Woods as Cinderella’s Mother (CSU).
EVANGELINE BLANKS
Fleance / Young Macduff
Evangeline Blanks is excited about her first appearance with Chagrin Arts. Evangeline has appeared in Alice in Wonderland, Get in the Game and The Best Little Theater in Town. Evangeline also enjoys singing and has performed with the Ohio State Children’s Choir. Outside of her interest in the performing arts, Evangeline also enjoys karate, soccer and horseback riding. She is also an avid artist. Evangeline would like to thank Pat Haynish, Bill Gordon and her fellow cast, crew and directors for all the support and encouragement she has received during this production.
ARTISTIC TEAM
DELANEY KATHRYN DAVIS HAGY
Co-Director
Production Designer / Hecate
Delaney Kathryn Davis Hagy, otherwise known as Laney Davis, is a local Cleveland artist, and educator from Baltimore, Maryland. She is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting. Delaney has previously directed As You Like It and Twelfth Night for Chagrin Arts Shakespeare in the Valley which she Directed alongside her trusty partner, Tyler Collins. Some of her favorite acting roles include Pericles (Pericles), Jean Louise Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird), Eleanor (Big Love), and Anne (IF/THEN). Her adventures in theater have taken her from the East Coast where she was Producer/ Production Manager for Open Space Arts New Works Summer Festival in Baltimore to the West where she Tour Managed Best Foot Forward for Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, Colorado. Her time spent on tour allowed her to follow her passion by bringing theater to over 20,000 children in underserved communities. She hopes to continue doing community based work that elevates marginalized voices. She believes in the Black Lives Matter Movement and urges you to please consider donating your time and energy to local action and seek out underrepresented voices in the arts. Delaney is ever grateful for her cast and crew for their trust and talent. She is also thankful to Lue and Migdalia for creating PlayOn and bringing it to Cleveland theater!
(she/her/hers)
TYLER COLLINS
Co-Director
Tyler Collins is a Cleveland based director, actor, and educator in the performing arts. He has performed locally at Great Lakes Theater, Beck Center for the Arts, and Chagrin Arts Shakespeare in the Valley. He has worked most recently as an Actor Teacher for GLT’s School Residency programs. Moving from acting to directing in the Chagrin Arts Shakespeare in the Valley series was a gift he is ever thankful for and he is equally thankful for his co-director Delaney Hagy and her infinite wisdom and patience. Tyler would like to send love to Austin, Samantha, Mom, Dad, and all of the friends that are miles away.
MARGE ADLER*
Music Director
She is relied upon by collaborators across North America for her eclectic approach and inventiveness as arranger/keyboardist, and was lauded by PLAIN DEALER critics as “a treasure with at least three hands.” Noted vocalist collaborators include tenor David Cangelosi (Metropolitan Opera), Jill Hayman (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST on Broadway and first national tour of LES MISERABLES), and bass/baritone Phillip Lamar Boykin (Tony-award nominee for GERSHWIN’S PORGY AND BESS on Broadway.) Marge’s solo CD, “BALM IN GILEAD: 12 MEDITATIONS FOR PIANO” won a KEYBOARD Magazine Unsigned Artist award. (She was their Miss April of that year.) Other notable credits range from Music Director for the Critics' Circle Award-winning SWEENEY TODD, to Author/Instigator of the DUELLING DIVAS cabaret revues, to Co-Author and Musical Director for SONGS THE HARRIGANS SANG at the Cleveland Play House, to Composer/Arranger/Orchestrator for the musical score for the film EXACT CHANGE.
During Marge's season as Organist for the Cleveland Indians, there were days when she would change hats on I-71 to become Harpsichordist for Bach Festival at Baldwin-Wallace. www.musicbyadler.com
*Music copyrights -- Marge Adler, 2021:
DOUBLE DOUBLE -- assignation of lyrics (to "Drum Dance" of Sandy Nelson);
SHA LA LA -- original music and arrangement.
Use of these songs is limited to this production, unless with Marge Adler's express permission.
LUE DOUTHIT
CEO and Creative Director
Play on Shakespeare
Lue Morgan Douthit is currently the CEO and Creative Director of Play on Shakespeare. Prior to that, she spent 25 seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival where she was director of new play development and dramaturgy. She also was the Production Dramaturg for more than 50 productions, including 15 world premieres and more than a dozen Shakespeare productions. She is the co-adapter of the six-actor Macbeth and seven-actor Measure for Measure, which were both produced at OSF and elsewhere. She was the co-producer and founder of the Black Swan Lab (2009) at OSF and subsequently produced the Lab until 2016. Lue is the recipient of the 1999 Literary Manager & Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA) Prize in Dramaturgy and The Elliott Hayes Award. She received her PhD at the University of Washington, her MFA from Trinity University, and her MA from University of Arizona.
MIGDALIA CRUZ
Playwright Translation
She is a Bronx-born, award-winning multi-platform playwright, lyricist, translator, and librettist of more than 60 works including: El Grito Del Bronx, Cigarettes & Moby-Dick, The Book of Miaou, & Frida, produced in venues such as BAM, Latino Chicago Theater Company, Mabou Mines, A.R.T., National Theater of Greece, Houston Grand Opera, Ateneo Puertorriqueño, & Teatro Vista. An alumna of New Dramatists, she received grants from Pregones/PRTT, the NEA, McKnight, NYFA, NYSCA, and Pew/TCG Foundations, and was named the 2013 Helen Merrill Distinguished Playwright. Migdalia was nurtured by Sundance, the Lark, & by Maria Irene Fornés at INTAR. She taught for the Fornés Playwriting Workshop, Princeton, and LaMaMa/Umbria. She is the current co-chair of the DGF Playwriting Fellows 2019-2021 with Lucy Thurber, a mentor to the NYC Latinx Playwrights Circle; and recently received a commission from Clubbed Thumb via NYSCA to write Fish Tank and INTAR to write Lives of the New Kind of Saints with composer, Cristian Amigo.
Recent Projects: lookinglass: some thoughts on day four@ PlanetConnections, June 2020; Meat & Other Broken Promises @Homebound 4th Edition, July 2020; Never Moscow workshopped at U. of Evansville, November 2020; Richard III translation (a PlayOn!Shakespeare Project) @TheatreSpace NorthEast (Sunderland, England), Summer 2020 and Macbeth in 2021; a geo-located performance in Battery Park, Lives of the New Kind of Saints @INTAR, November 2020. Her Macbeth translation can be heard in a podcast via ncpodcast.com, launched in April 2021. In June 2021, Yorick’s Last Laugh: a dead comedy jam wherein he spills the “T” about the Danish royal family premiered at Shakespeare Dallas. Macbeth was published by ACMRS Press, Arizona State/Tempe, 2021.
Thank you to the generous artists of Chagrin Arts for breathing life into this production of Macbeth.
ELIZABETH CAMMETT
Production Stage Manager
Elizabeth is a Cleveland native and 2014 graduate of Kent State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies, with a focus in Stage Management. She has worked with several Northeast Ohio theaters, including Dobama Theatre, Seat of the Pants Productions, Playhouse Square, Talespinner Children’s Theatre, Cleveland Public Theatre, Players Guild Theatre, Lakeland Community College, Porthouse Theatre, and Stagecrafters Youth Theatre. Elizabeth has worked in film and TV, both on-camera and as a talent agent behind the scenes, and participated in various area live events. Select credits include Dance Nation, The Old Man and the Old Moon, Wakey, Wakey, Smokefall, Vicky Velocity and the Star Strikers, The Nether, John, The Slipstream Drive, The Santaland Diaries, The Family Claxon, Intermission, Labio de Liebre: The Lip of the Hare, 44 Plays for 44 Presidents, Les Miserables, The Giver, Pride and Prejudice, Legally Blonde, Fiddler on the Roof, South Pacific, Almost, Maine, The Rocky Horror Show, Reefer Madness, Ragtime, Agamemnon, 4.48 Psychosis, Mr. Marmalade, The Crucible, Hamlet, Brigadoon and Cloud 9.
Chagrin Arts Staff
Karen Prasser, Executive Director
Gabrielle Sergi, Integrated Marketing & Design Coordinator
Mary Beth Bruner, Assistant
Emily Olesinski, Special Projects & Video Specialist
Mary Kay Gebler, Bookkeeper
