Henderson performances of ‘MacBeth’ start Saturday

By Erin Dostal

Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010 | 1:55 a.m.

The Las Vegas Shakespeare Company will be bringing desire, murder, grief and revenge to Henderson this fall with its play, “MacBeth.”

“What we have discovered here in Vegas is a bottomless desire for Shakespeare,” said Dan Decker, the company’s artistic director and playwright. “They eat us up everywhere we go.”

Decker said he expects the four shows in Henderson to draw crowds. The first show begins at 7 p.m., Saturday, at River Mountain Park, 1941 Appaloosa Drive.

The company’s marketing director, John Hanks, said the troupe chose “MacBeth” because it coincides with what schools throughout the valley are teaching this fall. The company often performs at local schools, he said.

“This is exactly what we’re existing for,” Hanks said of the Henderson tour. “We’re local, we’re professional, we’re accessible.”

Decker said he reworks Shakespeare’s plays to cater to today’s audiences. He keeps all of the Old English, he said, but drops or downplays parts of the plot that don’t click for modern ears.

For example, he said, MacBeth becomes a “good versus evil,” more generalized play in his hands. In its time, he said, MacBeth was more of a social commentary about the divine rights of kings.

The company has 31 Shakespearian-trained actors, Decker said.

“We’ve really hit a nerve doing Shakespeare in Las Vegas,” he said. “We have a company that we’re proud of.”

Shows will be held Oct. 9 at Lake Las Vegas, 1600 Lake Las Vegas Parkway; Oct. 16 at Discovery Park, 2011 Paseo Verde Parkway; and Oct. 23 at Sonata Park, 1550 Seven Hills Drive. They are presented by the Henderson Arts and Tourism Department.

All shows begin at 7 p.m., and are free and open to the public.