‘Dangerous and sexy,’ Tri-City theater company brings something wicked — and fun

When Geoff Elliott was 11, his family moved to Finland for the summer.

The apartment they stayed in had only two books in English. One of them was The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.

“I read the entire thing over the course of that summer. My dad loved Shakespeare, so he’d help me,” Elliott said.

Even though he was young, the play that resonated most with Elliott was Macbeth.

It’s one of The Bard’s most famous tragedies — a meditation on power, ambition, violence and destiny.

Its plot is simple: a Scottish general, Macbeth, is loyal to the king. But when he’s prophesied to one day wear the crown himself, he’s overcome by ambition and beats a bloody path to the throne.

“It’s the (story) I latched onto,” Elliott said.

Because it was simple and straight-forward, “I could really understand it,” even as a kid, he said.

Now, he’s helping bring it to life.

Elliott stars as the general-turned-king in The Rude Mechanicals production of Macbeth, opening Oct. 26 at the Uptown Theatre in Richland.

Performances are at 7 p.m. Oct. 26-28 and Nov. 2-4, with 2 p.m. matinees on Oct. 28 and Nov. 4.

Elliott promises a thrilling time.

“A lot of dark, sinister, scary stuff goes on in Macbeth. That’s part of what makes it fun — why we’re doing it around Halloween,” he said.

From sword fighting to witches, the show is packed with action and frights, Elliott said. “It’s been a really fun production to put together.”

The show is directed by Ellicia Elliott, with Raleigh Hawthorne as assistant director. Adam Critchlow is the fight choreographer.

Along with Geoff Elliott as Macbeth, the show features a talented cast that includes Anthony Ochoa as Macduff and Megan Johnson as Lady Macbeth.

For Johnson, playing the queen was the role of a lifetime. She first read Macbeth in high school and knew she wanted to portray the woman on stage.

“(Lady Macbeth) is a very faulted individual, but it’s been a joy to play her,” Johnson said. “To make her a layered, complex, real human being has been such a pleasure.”

The entire cast has risen to the challenge of Macbeth, Johnson said.

“Everyone came in really motivated to do it justice. Every night, people are bringing more and more,” she said. “It spurs you on as a performer.”

Johnson and Elliott said prospective audience members shouldn’t be intimidated at the thought of taking in a Shakespeare production. The Bard’s work is meant to be seen on stage.

“When you see the play, hear the words, watch the actors — it’s really clear what’s happening,” Elliott said.

And Macbeth will leave you riveted, he and Johnson said.

“I want people to come to the show and get spooked. The hair on the back of their neck will stand up a little,” Elliott said.

“A lot of times we don’t associate exciting with Shakespeare, but it is,” Johnson added. “It’s dangerous and sexy and there are high, high stakes.”

Tickets are $20 for general admission and $18 for students, seniors, teachers and the military.

Groundling seats on the floor are available for $5, and Royal Gallery tickets including numerous perks are $50.

A backstage pass, which includes a pre-show talk by director Ellicia Elliott, is $10.

Tickets are available at rmtheatre.org and Tri-Cities Academy of Ballet and Music in Richland.

This story was originally published October 22, 2017 at 4:13 PM with the headline "‘Dangerous and sexy,’ Tri-City theater company brings something wicked — and fun."