Hendrix students prepare show for international festival

Three faculty members and seven students from Hendrix College are working on their version of "Macbeth" they will perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland on Aug. 5-9.

Ann Muse, associate professor of theatre arts and dance, said the international festival is a good opportunity for the students to perform an original play as well as see other shows from around the world.

"I always thought this would be a really great thing to do," Muse said.

Constance L. Campbell, visiting assistant of theatre arts and dance, said the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is well known among people involved in theatre.

"Most of the general public has never heard of this festival, but it's a very big deal," Campbell said. "Every possible theatre show will be there."

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Muse said at first, the group would just go to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to watch other theatre companies, but decided to perform.

"I thought the Fringe Festival would be good, something we could handle," Muse said.

The festival features thousands of musical, standup comedy, theatre and music theatre performances from across the world.

The students attending the trip comprise Brett Carr, Lizzie Dunnet, Derek Easttom, Michael Goodbar, Sarah Johnson, Junia Massey and Justin Warren. Faculty members accompanying the students are Muse, Professor of theatre arts and dance Danny Grace, and Visiting Assistant of theatre arts and dance Constance L. Campbell.

The students and faculty members started working on the play last Monday and will continue to work eight hours or more a day until leaving for Scotland Aug. 3.

All of the students acted excited about starting work on their original production. Dunnet, a senior theatre major from Dallas Texas, said it would take a lot of hard work and concentration to produce a play in only two weeks.

"Right now, it seems like a lot to be done, but it will come together," Dunnet said.

Warren, a senior theatre major from Little Rock, said he is "super pumped" about performing in Scotland and thinks the play will be well received.

"I think people will identify with the performance and find it humorous," Warren said.

Massey, a senior theatre major from Conway, has no doubt the play will come together with only two weeks to produce it.

"I am nervous about all the work we have to do, but we'll get it done," Massey said.

Muse said the group knew they wanted to do something about Arkansas and relate it to Scotland. They decided to perform "Macbeth" with an Arkansan twist. The original show "Burn out Macbeth: A Southern Gothic Tale," will feature famous lines, scenes and imagery from Shakespeare's "Macbeth," while focusing on the 18-19 century Arkansas hill country tradition of feuding.

The group will use all original material in their play to avoid paying royalty fees. Muse said she thinks producing an original play will be a learning experience for the students.

"We could pay royalty fees to do a Tennessee William's play or something like that, but I think it's much better experience to produce an original show," Muse said.

Not only will the students perform, they will market and publicize their performance to the festival crowds.

"The students will market their play in the midst of hundreds of production companies vying for the same patrons," Muse said.

The trip is funded by the Hendrix Murphy Foundation for Literature and Language through the Murphy Away Program. Muse said she was honored to receive the grant for the trip.

"The Murphy Foundation was very generous. We are very honored to have that trust put in us," Muse said.

As part of the grant, the students and faculty will have to give a presentation on what they learn and their experiences to the Murphy Foundation. Muse said the group plans to document everything from producing the play to performing it at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

For more information about the trip, visit www.hendrix.edu/theatrearts.