CHLOE KOWALYK
Staff Writer
Fredonia Theatre and Dance’s production of “Macbeth” is quickly approaching.
However, putting on a show during a global pandemic is not an easy task.
The show is being directed by Paul Mockovak, who has an extensive background in theatre, musical theatre, concert dance and music alike.
Despite the pandemic, Mockovak and his team of students working on the show have worked hard to keep the cast safe.
Mackovak explains, “We were working in separate scenes keeping distancing easier, we wiped down set pieces if handled and I was on duty with my large bottle of hand sanitizer to make the rounds before and after.”
The combination of wearing masks, social distancing and proper sanitization were vital for the show’s production and filming.
Some actors have even gone as far as getting extra testing to ensure the safety of their castmates.
Jong Sang Rheu, who will be playing the role of Macduff, explains that he “[tries] to get tested at least every other week for the safety of others and [himself].”
As a result of the extra precautions, the cast and crew of the show have had to face some new obstacles unique to the pandemic.
For instance, Mockovak explains that he and the cast and crew of “Macbeth” had a tough decision to make. They could either rehearse the show as usual and livestream a performance of it on Zoom as many other shows have opted for, or they could film the scenes and create a recording of it like a movie.
“We determined to capture as much of ‘Macbeth’ as we could as soon as possible in a video format to put together for, in essence, a film,” Mockovak says.
Yet another challenge they faced was the actual combat aspect of the play. Mockovak contacted Emmett Wickersham, the fight choreographer, and enlisted his help in developing socially-distanced combat.
Mockovak states that Wickersham “came through beautifully with combat sequences that make sense, that are supported by our production concept, yet no one lays a hand on anyone.”
Other aspects of the production have faced some new challenges as well.
Franklin Krzyzewski is the lighting designer for the show. He explains that in comparison to the over 125 lights he had access to in the past in Marvel Theatre, he now only has access to around seven.
Krzyzewski explains that he “viewed it as more of a challenge rather than a limitation” and that “with lighting, more often than not less is more and the simpler a look is, when done right, the better it can be.”
With the scenes being shot separately and in different locations, Rheu explains that he sometimes experienced some difficulties since the show was not filmed in chronological order.
However, he states, “We made it through and I have the amazing ‘Macbeth’ team to thank for that!”
Other than these physical challenges, many cast members have been dealing with emotional ones as well.
“Because of the pandemic, we were never able to bring our full cast into one room,” Donovan Gale, who is playing the role of Macbeth, explains.
“It was just kind of a weird adjustment to me. I miss being able to see my friends,” he says.
Along with these challenges, the pandemic also presented a new rehearsal style.
Usually, the cast and crew rehearse to the point where they can run the show full-out without stopping. But, as Rheu explained, some scenes have been recorded or filmed out of sequence.
Mockovak explains that they have “revisited shooting some scenes as costumes and props have been generated and have… 10 scenes that [they] are able to go back and shoot on the Marvel stage with set pieces and lighting.”
“That we have made it this far is wonderful and I hand it to my cast, crew and in fact, all of our Fredonia.”
And, with the pandemic, the cast and crew have been fortunate enough to gain an extra few weeks to continue shooting, reshooting and reworking scenes in addition to the five weeks they typically have to rehearse.
Luckily, the cast and crew of “Macbeth” have been in high spirits about the show.
Many of the students involved have expressed their excitement for the show.
“Every scene I get to light I am incredibly proud of and every night I find myself saying, ‘Wow this looks even better than what we worked on last night,’” Krzyzewski says.
Carlea Grant, the stage manager, explains that they are most excited “for people to see the hard work that everyone on the show has put into the process.”
The actor of Lady Macbeth, Lauren Teller, states, “I love the fact that I’m doing Shakespeare! This is my first time acting through Shakespeare, so I’m learning so much. There is so much artistry to Shakespeare in the language unlike anything I’ve ever done before— it’s very exciting.”
Grant says that they love the scenes with the witches and the design going along with the fight scenes.
Rheu has really taken a liking to his role as Macduff.
“Macduff is a very royal man who’s very proud of his relationships with other characters in the show. Once everything he loves is literally burned and gone, he changes his objective completely to avenge Macbeth. I’ve never played a role that changes their goals and circumstances risen so drastically, and it’s a lot of fun to play,” he says.
Mockovak says that his favorite part about the show thus far has been working with the actors.
“They have embraced the concept for the story we are telling as it is non-traditional, and I love seeing their growth and what they are bringing to the project. I hope our viewing audience sees our efforts in its best light,” he states.
Despite the pandemic, the cast and crew have been able to make some great memories.
For example, Gale says that his favorite memory has definitely been working alongside Teller, who is his significant other.
“Going into auditions we joked about how awesome it would be if it could happen. Then, the callback list came out and it wasn’t a joke anymore. We must have run those lines a thousand times. We wanted it so bad, so when it actually happened it was just absolutely amazing. To have a dream, and watch it come to life in front of you as a result of your hard work, it was inspiring.”
Coincidentally, Teller explains that her “favorite memory of this production is definitely being able to work alongside with some of [her] closest friends.”
“I feel really blessed to be in this position and to have such a great group of people to explore this new style of theatre with,” she adds.
Mockovak has really enjoyed directing this year and has even put his own twist on the show, where the witches will have more power.
“There’s a reason it’s a timeless, universal and popular play— so working with our student actors and watching them absolutely dig into the work and the text and watch them bringing their A-game to every rehearsal has been a highlight,” he says.
Krzyzewski would like to emphasize that “supporting theatre right now in any way shape or form that you can is so incredibly important.”
“It is one of the oldest forms of entertainment, so I thank each and every person who is able to show support for this amazing craft in any way they can.”
Gale says that he would just like to thank the TADA program for making “Macbeth” happen.
He states, “I would also like to thank every single person on both the production team and cast [and]… Mockovak for bestowing the honor of playing Macbeth upon me. It’s been a dream come true, and for that I will always be thankful.”
Finally, Mockovak explains that the production has an all-student design team.
“They too had the same challenge the actors and I did which was that we could go remote at any point, yet try to continue the design process with research, renderings, elevations and ultimately the finished product. This also means a sincere heartfelt nod to our student artisans and crews who bring those designs to life,” he explains.
Be sure to be on the lookout for Fredonia TADA’s production of “Macbeth” during finals week.
There is no set date yet, but we can expect to hear about how we can watch it soon.
For more updates and information about the show, follow Fredonia TADA on Instagram @tadafredonia.