The 2021 production was another production that was strained by the Coronavirus pandemic. We started with holding auditions and rehearsing in small groups and with masks for The Forest in August 2020, when there was a dip in cases and it seemed like the pandemic might be coming to an end. Of course, this turned out to be not true at all. We were back to living room rehearsals for the second week of the semester and then to no rehearsals at all at the beginning of 2021. This meant that we were unable to perform our play as originally planned in April 2021. Instead, we rehearsed some more and then recorded the play. In fall 2021, after a substantial delay due to the difficulties presented by the ongoing pandemic, we were then finally getting back on track: After a long break in rehearsals from May to August we finally started to get back together and rehearse again at the beginning of September 2021. The adjusted safety regulations allowed us to rehearse in person and with the whole cast on university grounds for the first time in 1.5 years. We found a new home at the Theatersaal at Campus Irchel, where we were able to rehearse and hold our performances. We had four performances at the end of October, and we are quite proud to say that they were a full success. The audiences seemed to enjoy our modern, eco-critical adaption of Shakespeare’s Macbeth tremendously, as we got lots of positive feedback. It was once again a truly collaborative effort: the departments of costume design, directing, music, marketing, and stage design all worked together to make the actors on stage look as good as possible.
About the Play
“Welcome to The Forest. Please go ahead and take a look around.”
With that, the employees of Duncan Chem, a company that produces poisonous chemicals, are welcomed on their team-building retreat in the wilderness by park manager Hecate Thorne. Expecting nothing but a light-hearted trip to nature with some rather annoying co-workers, the Duncan Chem crew is soon confronted with a tragic turn of events when Richard Duncan, proud owner of the company, is murdered in his sleep.
About the Authors
Carmen Aeschbacher is a student of English and Musicology and has been part of the BPM for 2 years, first as the producer’s assistant in 2019 and then as head producer in 2020. She also acted in our Christmas play in 2018.
Isabel Schmidt studies English and Communication and Media Research. Her BPM journey started 2019 when she was the general assistant and a stage hand.
Isabel and Carmen were discussing Shakespeare during a study break and coincidentally discovered that both would like to try their hand at adapting one of his plays for a modern audience. Aside from writing the script themselves, they also co-directed their adaption together.
Cast
Alexander Macbeth – William Jones
Kate Macbeth – Jelena Taylor Botacio
Rose Macduff – Eliza Eckhart
Claudio Banquo – Fernando Nunes Borba
Aliena Weïrd – Judith Dürig
Celia Weïrd – Pascale Albrecht
Richard Duncan – Alexander Schulz
Emilia Lennox – Naomi Schenkel
Malcolm Duncan – Gian-Luca Kuoni
Nick Porter – Jana Eberle
Hecate – Ladina Mauchle
Crew
Co-Directors – Isabel Schmidt
Carmen Aeschbacher
Producer – Pernille Meier
Producer’s Assistant – Isabel Adarraga
Treasurer – Andrin Albrecht
Treasurer’s Assistant – Ladina Mauchle
Head of Stage – Melina Jobbins
Stage Crew – Gian-Luca Kuoni
Lorena Schnüriger
Head of Marketing – Pascale Albrecht
Photography – Leticia Peredo
Videography – Sinja Bucher
Graphic Design – Nadia Hofmann
Head of Costume – Lux Katharina Züst
Costume Crew – Wilmari Claasen
Ladina Mauchle
Head of Music – Andrin Albrecht
Music Assistant – Cédric Stüssi
Lighting Technician / IT – Noah Lang
Blueprint Masquerades 