From merchant to king

BAILA LAZARUS EDITOR

Thankfully for Donald Adams, star of the Bard on Beach production of Macbeth, there's a lot of grimacing that goes along with a Shakespearean sword fight. So when he failed to parry a blow from his opponent, Macduff, that split his knuckle and broke his index finger, the audience members weren't aware of anything amiss. It wasn't until he failed to appear after the show to answer questions that they were told he was on his way to the hospital.

"I knew I had been chopped and I saw an ominous black mark on the index finger," said Adams. But, after reconfiguring the fight for the next show, the play has continued, with nothing more than a splint on his hand, covered by a period bandage.

For Adams, the challenge was just one more hurdle in what he describes as a "difficult play." His role as Macbeth is the largest role he's played in his life, according to Adams, who also played the lead role of Shylock in last season's production of The Merchant of Venice.

"I used to say when I finished Shylock, I felt I'd been beaten up with a two-by-four because it's emotionally draining," said Adams. "But that was nothing compared to Macbeth.

"Compared to other roles, Macbeth is actively fighting fear, fighting enemies," explained Adams, who is a member of Vancouver's Jewish community. "He knows on some level that he has sold his soul to the devil and he has major stuff to fear. It's a bargain that doesn't provide any calm at all."

But Adams carries the burden with intensity that never wavers, right to the last (literal) drop of blood. With pursed lips, furled eyebrows and crazed eyes, he conveys with no half measure the fear and paranoia that grips Macbeth.

As if preparing for Macbeth was not enough to keep him busy, Adams and his partner, Jo Bates, have started a Shakespeare school for adult professional actors. Working out of the old Gastown actors' studio on Cordova, they have hired local Shakespearian aficionados Scott Bellis, Moira Wylie and Kevin Williamson, drawing as students everyone from TV stars to people just dabbling in Shakespeare.

"We filled a need in the community which we suspected was there in that the schools – the universities and professional schools – are not providing any ongoing classical training and that's really missing from the soul of the community," said Adams. "People can find their range and physical stamina broadened and deepened and we've had testimonies from several people that this is actually happening for them."

Macbeth runs until Sept. 23. For tickets, visit www.bardonthebeach.org or call the box office at 604-739-0599. For more information on the Shakespeare workshops, call 604-739-7829.

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