DCPA’s ‘Macbeth In The Parking Lot’ Performed For Students: See Moments Here

The+Denver+Center+For+Performing+Arts%E2%80%99+Macbeth+In+The+Parking+Lot+was+performed+on+Thursday%2C+Sept.+29+for+various+English+and+Theatre+classes%2C+as+well+as+students+who+attended+the+performance+on+their+own.

Quinn Rudnick

The Denver Center For Performing Arts’ Macbeth In The Parking Lot was performed on Thursday, Sept. 29 for various English and Theatre classes, as well as students who attended the performance on their own.

Quinn Rudnick, Managing Editor

On Thursday, students gathered during school in the Fine Arts parking lot to see the Denver Center For Performing Arts’ (DCPA) performance of Macbeth. The eight-member cast put on an abridged version of William Shakespeare’s tragedy in 50 minutes. 

“We travel throughout the Denver Metro area, performing three different plays; Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Macbeth, which you saw the other day,” Justin Walvoord, who plays Macbeth, said. 

Directing choices like the foreshadowing of Macbeth’s death and the involvement of the Witches in the play were explained during workshops. On Friday, actors visited various English and theater classes to answer questions about the play and teach students about acting. 

One workshop was held in English teacher Dr. Joel Morris’s class during sixth period on Friday. Walvoord and Christian Robinson, who plays multiple characters, held a Q&A session in which students were able to ask about the play, their careers, and what acting for the DCPA was like. 

Walvoord explained that in most productions of Macbeth the witches are not regularly included in the play, but the DCPA’s director decided to include them more. 

“Typically, in productions, the witches have just three or four scenes,” Walvoord said. “[But] our director decided [that] we want to bring in the idea that these witches are manipulating the story the whole time.”

During the show, most actors will play multiple roles, switching characters after a costume change and some even change the way their character speaks. The play is less specific than the original, as it’s lost detail due to the short time frame, but that means that the audience can interpret the character’s actions however they like.

“It’s wonderful that it’s up to interpretation,” Robinson said. “And I love that the audience can decide what they think.”

See moments from the performances below.