Austin Shakespeare's Macbeth opens at the Long Center

Austin Shakespeare is having a fantastic year. Since Ann Ciccolella took the helm as Artistic Director, the company has produced a remarkable variety of tasty theatrical treats for audiences of all ages. From this spring's Plays Well with Shakespeare, which previewed the Long Center's Rollins Theater, to summertime's Much Ado About Nothing at Zilker Park, Austin Shakespeare has been steadily taking things up a notch.

Their current production, directed by Ciccolella, is no exception. Offering a "contemporary Macbeth from a global perspective," the cast is packed with ringers, including stellar Marc Pouhé in the title role and multi-talented Sharron Bower as Lady Macbeth. The design team is nothing to sneeze at either. Michael McKelvey has written original music; Michelle Ney created the set and costumes; and Jason Amato is at the helm of lighting design. Phew! That's a cauldron-load of talent.

For the uninitiated, here's our five-cent version of the plot: A group of witches tells Generals Macbeth and Banquo that the former will be king, but the latter will have heirs on the throne. The generals think, "Eh? The king seems fine to me," but then one of the generals gets to thinkin' a bit too much. (That would be Macbeth.) So, he and his wife kill the king, and Banquo, and a bunch of other people. But then Macbeth freaks out and seeks out the witches again, only they're not very helpful. They just toss a few riddles down and send him on his way. So...he kills a bunch more people.

And hey, let's not spoil the end. Instead, mosey over to the Rollins Theater at the Long Center and check out this production. Mark our words—it will doubtless be outstanding!