Theatre professor Jack Zerbe decided to direct Macbeth as an examination of the current political climate in the Unites States. “We chose this play because we knew we were going to be immediately following an election season,” said Zerbe. “It’s not an attempt to equate American democracy with the political monarchy of the play. It’s an examination of the psychology of ambitious rulers.”

Macbeth tells the story of a man who murders the ruler of Scotland to secure the kingship for himself. He soon finds that foul deeds do not stand alone and flurries into a string of evil actions to maintain his power. Macbeth, blinded by the false sense of security given to him by the Fates in the play’s beginning, completely loses his head and descends into brutal patterns of self-preservation until his final breath.

“It talks about leadership and the ways in which people assume leadership,” said senior Paul Masters, who plays the role of Duncan. The two lead roles, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, are played by senior Brandon Sasnett and senior Heidi McIver.

Hoping to show the college how relevant Shakespeare can be, Zerbe and his team have modernized the feel of the play so the audience will connect with the themes. “People just don’t relate it to their own lives, so you really have to inhabit the text and make it your own,” Masters said.

Zerbe is suited to the challenge as a 14-year veteran of a Shakespearean festival on the West Coast. He has replaced ruffs and pumpkin breaches, kilts and broadswords with camouflage and M-16 machine guns.

“When Shakespeare did it, he did it in modern dress, meaning that even though it was about the 11th century, they all wore Elizabethan clothes,” said Zerbe. By doing this, Shakespeare made the story relevant to his audience, and Zerbe wants nothing less for his own.

The production team faced interesting challenges in making the play contemporary while maintaining the integrity of the text. One interesting element is a set that takes up every foot of available space. “It’s the biggest one I’ve ever worked on as a technical person or an actor here at Guilford,” said master electrician Chris Imms.

“There are a lot of things up on stage that are very Elizabethan that look contemporary,” Zerbe said. “The set is almost an exact duplicate of Shakespeare’s Elizabethan theatre, however the materials are steel; the colors are gray.”

Every element of the production has been expanded for this ambitious release, from the huge cast of 28 actors, to the largest set in memory, to technical demands. “We’ve taxed the limits of the amount of lights that we have up,” Imms said. “It’s been tough, but the results are pretty spectacular.”

Imms promises a big surprise relating to creative lighting and unique set materials; he guarantees a thrill.

Zerbe hopes to abolish the conception that Shakespeare is remote, hard, and boring. “I hope this production will show that none of those things are the case.”

Show dates: Nov. 12-13, 18-20 at 8:00 p.m. in Sternberger Auditorium. Students get in free. $5 for general public.