Macbeth--Pacific Theatre (Vancouver)

[Richard Sutherland]

>I'm interested in adaptations and was intrigued to read your description
>of yet another version of Macbeth.  What I don't understand is  WHY the
>adaptation?  Was it just a question of trying to fit a particular time
>slot? or were there "aesthetic" reasons for the adaptation.  I'm very
>interested in hearing more about this.....
>
>Glen
>
 
 
Good question. There are people who are probably far better quelified than I
am to deal with this subject. The program notes certainly give no clue as to
why the company or the director chose this format. I suspect there are a
variety of reasons, having to do with novelty, economics (a general trend to
reduced casts everywhere), zeitgeist, deconstruction, etc. Certainly
Shakespeare has always been subject to adaptations which reflect the temper
of the times. Heck, even in Shakespeare's day his plays seem to have been
subject to adaptation (witness the differences between the different texts
of, say, King Lear). An adaptation of this sort certainly allows the
director to "zoom in" on what he considers essential to the play.
 
The whole question of the deconstruction/reconstruction of plays is an
intriguing one and has been recently the subject of much debate on the
Theatre discussion group.
 
Maybe someone else would like to offer an opinion?
 
Richard