MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Step into a chilling reimagining of a Shakespearean classic when Middle Tennessee State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance students bring a dark tale of ambition, prophecy and betrayal unfolding beneath moonlit tombstones to the Tucker Theatre stage.

“The Tragedy of Macbeth: Party of Cruelty” runs Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 5–7, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m. All performances will be held at Tucker Theatre, located at 615 Champion Way.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $6 for children. Tickets can be purchased online at https://bit.ly/4zpuiRp or at the box office before each performance. A searchable campus parking map is available at bit.ly/2026parkingmap.

MTSU students, faculty and staff can receive one free ticket at the box office the night of the show with a valid student ID. No late entry will be permitted after the box office closes.

About ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth: Party of Cruelty’

Written by William Shakespeare in the early 1600s and adapted by David Wilkerson, this haunting production is set in a shadowed cemetery, blending classic verse with an eerie Halloween atmosphere. Ghosts linger, witches whisper, and the line between the living and the dead begins to blur. Driven by a dark prophecy and blind ambition, Macbeth’s ruthless rise from general to the throne consumes all in its path. In this supernatural thriller, each shadow hides a threat and every wicked deed closer to doom.

Dark, immersive and visually striking, this is a Macbeth that will leave audiences thrilled, unsettled, and spellbound.

“The Tragedy of Macbeth: Party of Cruelty” contains some mature content and may not be appropriate for all patrons. Content warning includes some choreographed violence, suicide and death. Recommended audience is ages 14 and up.

“I’ve always been drawn to Macbeth,” said Wilkerson, who originally directed it in 2019. “Theatre has long shown us what it means to be human and how to celebrate the humanity in others. So, it’s time for Macbeth once more.”

Wilkerson said in this version of “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” the Witches are throwing a party to end all parties, and they’re inviting some of their closest corpse friends. Only the most stylish and cruel undead have made the guest list.

“You’re invited to sit in and witness the dark merriment and hopefully empathize with those unlucky bound souls. And their real-life reviled counterparts? We leave their fate in your hands,” Wilkerson said.

Cast

The student cast for “The Tragedy of Macbeth” includes:

The Party

• Arabella Cianci, a theatre major from Smyrna, as Raina, The Grief/Loss Witch
• Julia Marcella, a theatre major from Murfreesboro, as Erisabeth, The Fear/Hatred Witch
• Luke Yates, a theatre major from Knoxville, as Ty-ra, The Lust for Power Witch
• Fiona MacIsaac, a theatre major from Knoxville, as Hecate
• Kacey Clark, a theatre major from Murfreesboro, as Belladonna (Servant, Murderer)
• Wesley Cox, a theatre major from Murfreesboro, as Buzzsaw (Murderer 1, Fighter)
• Joy Donalies, a theatre major from Clarksville, as Pyre (Fleance, Fighter)
• JJ Dubin, a theatre major from Nashville, as Balor (Murderer, Drummer)
• David Kerr as Styx (Guard, Murderer, Drummer)
• Emma Lilly, a theatre major from Murfreesboro, as Nightshade (Apparition, Fighter)
• Asher Peterson as Roadkill (Donalbaine, Macduff Child, Apparition)
• Shon Seivers, a theatre major from Knoxville, as Slip (Young Seyward, Murderer)
• Kaylee Wilmoth, a media and entertainment major from Cookeville, as Hellebore (Doctor/Drummer)
• Madison Womack, a theatre major from Nashville, as Pink Whitney (Apparition, Fighter)

The Cast

• Bailey Bateman, a theatre major from Cookeville, as Malcom
• Lulu Chandler, a theatre major from Lafayette, as Seyton
• Emma Groves, a theatre major from Watertown, as Lady Macbeth
• MJ Learned, a theatre major from Germantown, as Banquo (Macbeth fighter)
• Cameron Miller, a theatre major from Nolensville, as MacDuff
• Rachel Oppmann, a theatre major from Murfreesboro, as Macbeth
• Eve Petty as Duncan (Seyward)
• Aspen Sorensen, a theatre major from Murfreesboro, as Lady MacDuff
• Helen Tibbs, a theatre major from Whitwell, as Lennox
• Clarissa Vandeberghe as Ross

For more information about MTSU’s Department of Theatre and Dance, part of the College of Liberal Arts, visit https://theatreanddance.mtsu.edu.

— DeAnn Hays ([email protected])