Yes, it’s that play — the bloody tragedy actors refer to as “The Scottish Play,” lest some supernatural devastation befall them. With witches and ghosts and curses, it’s a perfect production for mid-fall with Halloween top of mind with many people. And that’s exactly what’s on the mind of the smart artistic planners at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (719 Race St., Downtown), where the production opens this week. Director Brian Phillips has set it in a contemporary, war-torn Scotland with Macbeth and his manipulative wife played by two CSC veterans, Nick Rose and Sara Clark, a real-life husband-and-wife team. “We made a conscious choice to approach the play as if it will be the first time anyone has ever seen or heard of it,” Phillips says. “We hope to give those who have seen other productions a fresh perspective or a new outlook on the story. And we hope to move those audience members and students who are having their first experience with Shakespeare and Macbeth.” Following a season with several shows relocated to modern times, this one will be the current season’s only venture into the present. “By placing the story in 2011 Scotland,” Phillips says, “the audience will relate to some aspects of the setting and also be slightly removed. This will allow them to truly delve into the more sinister aspects of the play.” It’s time to get your theatrical Halloween on.
Show Times: 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Through Nov. 20.