A "Macbeth" Interview with Brian Cook

   Joining us for today's interview with the cast of Macbeth is Brian Cook, a fine actor who plays the part of Thane. Here's what he had to say:

Q: You're part of a classic Shakespeare play (I won't name it, in case you hold to the traditional superstition), but in case our reader isn't familiar with it, tell us the basic story.

Brian:  Hesitantly, a brave warrior allows his wife to pull him headfirst into the dark abyss of power and corruption. Returning to the surface, we see that their feelings for their misdeeds have exchanged.

Q: Tell us about the character you play.

Brian:  I play the character of Ross, a fellow thane.  Ross' role in the play is mainly as the bearer of news - good, bad and ugly.  

Q: What's the most challenging thing about this show?

Brian: The most challenging aspect of the production, for me, is the language.  Not only is the text often hard to make sense of, but it's also difficult to appear natural and/or conversational using old English. Luckily, director Mike Murdock spent plenty of time with the cast discussing the reasoning behind each scene and the intent behind the dialogue. 

Q: Will the audience be scared or shocked by this production?

Brian: I feel that there are definitely  some shocks and surprises in the show.  Some of them come from the writing, but some come from the twisted minds of the production team.  I dare not speak further on this matter.

Q: Why did you want to be part of this show?

Brian: I auditioned for the show because I wanted to work with Murdock - he promised there would be "fun" and "play."  To be honest, I was intimidated to do a Shakespearian production, but Mike made me feel like I was going to be in good hands.

Q: Why would you recommend this show to our readers?  

Brian: I recommend this show for its overall storytelling  I feel the cast and crew have done well to make this 400-year-old tale more accessible and entertaining for today's audiences without dumbing down any of the language. In addition, there are fight scenes and quite a bit of blood.  

Q: Tell us the dates, times and place for the show.

Brian:You can see Macbeth at ARTS (the Renaissance Center, or old Huntington High) on Oct. 19 and 20 at 8 p.m. or Oct. 21 at 2 p.m.  If you'd enjoy dinner before the Friday or Saturday performances give a call to 304-733-ARTS for reservations. Tickets are $10, or $25 for dinner and the show.