In most instances, shields, hubcaps and baseball bats are best reserved for scrapyards and street fights.
For some UF students, it’s just another day of theater.
This weekend, a group of UF students will be bringing William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” to the Plaza of the Americas.
But it will be with a twist.
For this version, UF’s Shakespeare in the Park has chosen to set the play in a war-torn, post-apocalyptic Scotland. It will be performed today and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. A matinee will take place Sunday at 2 p.m.
The play will still feature the same characters, prose and plot, but will have a newer, modern edge, according to JamieLynn Bucci, public relations chairwoman for the group.
“It’s ‘Macbeth’; someone still has to be king,” Bucci said.
Joseph Sweeney, the group’s president, said there was a lot of debate on which play to do this year because the group has only done romantic comedies like “Much Ado About Nothing.”
Although those plays were crowd-pleasers because of their slapstick humor and relatable plots, the group decided to move away from them to try to “spook the audience” this year, Sweeney said.
“You can adapt it to so many variations, and it’s fun to watch,” he said. “It was originally designed to be played outside. We’re trying to offer the authentic Shakespeare.”
Shakespeare in the Park puts on one free annual production on the Plaza of the Americas. Audience members are encouraged to bring their own chairs, blankets and pillows.
