| BRAZOSPORT LI'L PLAYERS PRESENT WORLD PREMIERE OF MACBETH
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(HOUSTON) September 28, 2005 . . . Experimental theatre troupe The Brazosport L'il Players (BLP) will present its movie version of Shakespeare's classic play Macbeth at the Axiom, located at 2524 McKinney, on Saturday, October 15, with showings at 9 and 11 p.m. The price of admission is $5.
"Sure, we made a few changes," says Paul Locklear, who wrote the script and directed the approximately 50-minute-long movie. "We had to, cause we didn't want to bore the audience to death with all that Shakespeare business."
Locklear admits that the script follows the basic plotline of Shakespeare's classic tale of greed and tragedy, but with a few changes. "We wanted to place it in a setting that our limited fan base could relate to, so Macbeth works at the Wal-Mart in Brazosport."
Walt Zipprian, a Houston area theatre veteran who grew up in Brazosport, plays the title role. "This role is perfect for me. If I hadn't left town when I did I'd probably really be working at the Wal-Mart in Brazosport and plotting my pathway to the top."
Those in search of production values won't find any here; BLP made Macbeth for a little over $200. "Everyone worked for free and the only expenses were for digital videotapes, food and beer for a couple of scenes," says Locklear. "It took us a year to finish it though. I have the good fortune to know a lot of performers, but the down side of that is that because they are performers, they would go off into rehearsals for a show and sometimes we had to wait long periods before they were free to finish. Later when you're trying to sort through everything and remember how things are supposed to go together, it helps to have a boy genius in your camp."
Locklear is referring to Joe Folladori who served as director of photography and editor for the movie.
"Joe saved our butts," says Locklear. "I'm technologically challenged, and Joe just swooped in and took care of all at, which was a great weight off my shoulders."
Zipprian heads a cast that includes BLP regulars Kelly Manison as Lady Macbeth, Mike Switzer as Banquo, and Noel Bowers as Macduff, with cameo appearances by the Leopard Boy and Batman and fast-rising Houston-based classical music combo Two Star Symphony, who appear as the witches.
BLP was launched in 2002 when the troupe formed to present a 10-minute scene from the Glass Menagerie for the Slump Theatre fundraiser. They have gone on to perform at fundraisers for Mildred's Umbrella Theatre, dos chicas theatre commune and Theatre Illuminata, and appeared as featured performers in Jack Babylon's Cabaret. They performed the original piece Voices of America as part of Diverseworks Footfalls series and presented their first full-length play 32 Short Stories About Brazosport at the Axiom in January of 2005. The troupe's series of short customized movies include; Day in the Life of Two-Star; Actorman: Day in the Life of Jmiller; Thomas Goes to Brazil and Tamalalia 11.
For reservations or further information call the BLP Hotline at (713) 869-2294.
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