The Patriot Theatre Company (PTC) is preparing to put on its 2025 fall play, the Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth, which will run over two weekends—with shows Oct. 4, 5, 9, 10, and 11. Led by director Amanda Peterlin, the cast began rehearsing on Aug. 25, just six weeks before the show will open. 

While the actors have been preparing their characters, members of Stevenson’s build crew have begun preparing the show’s set and props, while the run crew will come in later during the rehearsal process to help manage lighting, sound, and props. As the show moves closer to opening night, those components will be integrated into the acting onstage during tech and dress rehearsals.

Prior to receiving their roles, students auditioned by presenting a monologue to the directors, and some students were invited back the next day for further evaluation. Isaiah Martinez ’27 auditioned for a role in the play and was ultimately selected to portray the lead character Macbeth.

“I got called back for Macbeth, and during that call back, we rehearsed scenes from that play,” Martinez said. “After callbacks, it takes a few days for them to curate the cast list.”

Peterlin noted that many factors went into the casting decisions, including the fact that the fall musical Mary Poppins was cast simultaneously, and directors needed to balance the needs of both shows and the preferences of the actors. After the cast list was released, the cast almost immediately started rehearsals, the first of many in the weeks ahead. 

“They received their role on Sunday, Aug. 24 and their first rehearsal was Monday, Aug. 25, so they came right back into rehearsals the next day,” Peterlin said. “We rehearse Monday through Friday, every day after school until we open.”

The cast members rehearse together daily until 6 p.m., however, not every cast member needs to be at rehearsal every day. While it was a quick turnaround between the release of the cast list and the start of rehearsal, especially for the leads who are called every day, Martinez wasn’t worried.

“I think it is kind of a fast process, but once you are in rehearsals, you are in the environment of your peers, which becomes your family,” Martinez said. 

A strong connection among the cast is something Martinez hopes to carry through to their performances in front of a real audience. Peterlin noted that she hopes the unique presentation of the show, mainly the proximity of the audience to the stage and how they will stand during portions of the show, will give the show a unique opportunity to connect with the audience as well.

“Bringing the audience into a space where they’re on their feet and the actors are all around them introduces uneasiness in the audience, and we’re interested in that,” Peterlin said. “That’s a really fun vibe to bring into Macbeth, and we’re going from there.”

The unique presentation of the production will also include set pieces like backgrounds and props. As a part of Macbeth’s build crew, Lorelei Vaysberg ’28 is responsible for creating the set and making it reflect the vision of the show. 

“We are working on getting the set finalized and set up, and currently making the set involves creating faux stone brick walls,” Vaysberg said. 

Not only are the background and set supposed to add realism to the show, but Macbeth is also set to include some mildly frightening elements like violence and death to capture the more haunting aspects of Shakespeare’s play. Peterlin hopes these will provide a unique source of entertainment for the audience throughout the show. 

“A lot of characters obviously meet an untimely end in the show and so we’re finding creative ways to stage that safely and in a way that is also a little scary or haunting,” Peterlin said. 

Macbeth is read as a part of the sophomore English accelerated curriculum, where students analyze the text of the play and the rhetorical and figurative devices Shakespeare employs. However, Martinez believes that seeing the play onstage allows audiences, even those who have already read it in their English curriculum, to connect more with the passion of the characters and their feelings. 

As the show moves towards its opening night, Peterlin and the cast hope to leave the audience with a deeper understanding of Shakespeare and its complex themes.  

“Seeing Macbeth on stage is completely different than reading it on a page,” Martinez said. “You’re really seeing it’s true emotion.”