Madam, - Permit me to respond to the complaint by Kerri O'Brien (March 19th) concerning Second Age's recent production of Macbeth. Since she still has made no formal contact to us, other than a brief visit to our office to pay for tickets, I understand, I have had little to respond to. I note that she has complained in the media, both on radio and in The Irish Times and to that end I would wish to make the following comments.
We at Second Age, and I in particular, have always determined that our productions should give students a fair, accurate and above all entertaining presentation of the plays we produce. For most students, Second Age will be their first ever experience of live theatre, and we want it to be a good experience. Ms O'Brien's complaint seems solely in regard to the particular violence enacted in the murder of Lady Macduff.
The interpretation of this scene by the director and the actors involved is perfectly legitimate. The play is about, among many other things, the consequence of totalitarianism. War is a crime against humanity because it always creates innocent victims. Collateral damage, as we so politely call it these days. Shakespeare understood this.
He also understood that the primary victims of war have always been women and children. This is as true today as it was in all of history. The victims of Kosovo, of the Khmer Rouge, of Napoleon's armies, of Hitler's concentration camps or of any other conflict have always been the women and children. The play Macbeth is great, not because Shakespeare happened to write it - he did write some rather poor ones as well - but because it is a true reflection on the awfulness that can occur in the human condition.
For as long as there is war there will be the rape and murder of the innocent. The students who attend these productions are at least in their late teens and they should be aware of this from every news and current affairs programme that I assume every conscientious teacher would encourage them to watch.
We make no apology for any aspect of our interpretation or presentation of this play. We hope rather, to continue to present to the second-level students of Ireland, valid, exciting and entertaining presentations of the works of Shakespeare, and to encourage young audiences to develop a love of live theatre. - Yours, etc.,
ALAN STANFORD, Second Age Theatre Company, Dame Street, Dublin 2.