By Kaitlin Motley
Review Staff Intern
The Michigan Youth Theater (MYT) has performed it all; Oscar Wilde, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Sophocles. So the kids knew exactly what they were getting into when they requested to make Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth? this summer’s production.
The performance includes actors ages 12-19, many of them from Lake Orion.
‘Many people think all youth theater performances are all sunshine and roses,? said the show’s director and MYT artistic director Lisa Hodge Kander. ‘This is actually a very dark play, with themes like temptation and what it is to be evil.?
‘I think young people struggle with the big questions just as much if not more than adults,? she continued. ‘They really embrace the challenge presented by a mature text.?
Many of the roles are played by more than one actor, Kander said.
‘If you wanted a part you got a part, even if it meant double casting and multiple rehearsals,? she said.
The show will run at the Orion Township Civic Center park on Joslyn Road. It opens Thursday, Aug. 14, running through Saturday, Aug. 16, at 8 p.m. all three days, with an additional matinee at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Tickets are available for a suggested donation of $7 or $5 for students, seniors, and anyone who brings their own seating, as provided seating will be limited.
Michigan Youth Theater was founded in 2000 for young people who wanted a fuller, deeper experience with theater, Kander said.
More information is available at www.michiganyouththeater.org