"M.A.C.B.E.T.H.," a new parody thriller written and directed by Erin Stegeman, is on view at Art Farm at Serenbe through May 17. (Courtesy of Production)
The title of a new parody thriller playing under the stars at Art Farm at Serenbe in Chattahoochee Hills is “M.A.C.B.E.T.H.” The show is exactly what it looks like: Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” staged as if it were a ’90s network sitcom, with all six of your favorite Manhattan friends slowly unraveling into a story of ambition, betrayal and psychological horror. Written and directed by Erin Stegeman, the world premiere opened May 8 and runs through May 17.
What audiences will find
For this production of “M.A.C.B.E.T.H.”, the stage is set in Serenbe’s Wildflower Meadow, open to whatever the Georgia sky decides to do on any given night.
“It’s literally just a stage in a field, and the stage is not flat,” deLoache said. “Previous productions have had to use generators. So we are getting the luxury of being able to turn some lights on and off at will.”
Audiences are encouraged to arrive early to settle into their seats, dress for evening temperatures, and prepare for an experience deLoache describes as unlike anything a conventional theater space can offer.
A ‘delicious swirl’
Stegeman, known in theatre circles as the Parody Queen, came to the material through grief. She turned to the comfort of television during a difficult period when the storylines of “Friends” and “Macbeth” began to merge in her mind. What came out of that collision was “M.A.C.B.E.T.H.”
The show sets the action in modern-day Manhattan, reuniting Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, Monica and Chandler years after the series finale — before slowly pulling the familiar sitcom world apart. The script addresses postpartum, the role of technology in relationships, ambition and betrayal, all without losing its comic footing.
Adam Archer ’06 (Ross) rehearses with Virginia Elliot (Phoebe) ahead of the world premiere of “M.A.C.B.E.T.H.” at Art Farm at Serenbe. (Courtesy of Production)
“It hits on a lot of heavy themes, but it does it in a way that keeps you laughing the entire time,” deLoache said. “I find those types of contradictions quite special.”
deLoache knew she was in from the moment she read the script for the first time.
“I laughed so hard at some of the weirdest things that I would not expect to,” she said. “To take the most iconic tragedy and mash it together with probably the most recognizable sitcom comedy — it’s such a delicious swirl.”
deLoache had never produced live theatre outdoors before “M.A.C.B.E.T.H.” The list of things she has learned and would do differently is quite long.
She described repairing water damage from overnight weather. She figured out how to make blood squirt from a prop severed leg, learned to humidify the props table after spring dew turned paper props “floppy.”
“Our cast and crew are some of the most resilient and hardest working, creative and fun people that I’ve worked with,” deLoache said.
From Mattel to a meadow
deLoache spent seven years in the corporate creative world, most recently as a senior creative development manager at Mattel, where she worked across animated, live-action and digital content for global kids’ brands. She was among the many creative professionals affected by the wave of mass layoffs moving through the entertainment and tech industries in recent years.
“There’s a sort of grief that goes into that,” she said. “You’re building something and then the rug’s kind of just pulled out from under you.”
She said that in moments of that kind of impact, her instinct was to return to herself — and for her, that meant returning to theatre. Her schedule opened up at precisely the moment “M.A.C.B.E.T.H.” needed a producer.
“I took it as a sign that it was something I was meant to do,” she said.
deLoache is not only a producer. She worked in donor advising at the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles and helped run Columbus, Georgia’s Springer Opera House’s capital campaign. She’s clear-eyed about the state of independent theatre — and thoughtful about what support for that community looks like.
“Go see the shows, and don’t just go see the shows at the lovely, ginormous Metro spaces,” deLoache said. “See your local productions. Support your neighbors who are doing art.”
She also made a case for the irreplaceable nature of live performance in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and automated content.
“There’s really quite nothing as poignant and as direct as a live audience watching a live show that was created by people,” deLoache said. “Seeing a bunch of actors on a stage in the woods is about as real as it gets.”
“M.A.C.B.E.T.H.” runs through May 17 at Art Farm at Serenbe in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, southwest of Atlanta. Tickets and information available at artfarmatserenbe.com.
