Joe Arciniega as Macbeth
Teena Arciniega as Lady Macbeth
Vernon Carroll as King Duncan
Adolfo Ramos as Macduff
Ariadne “DeeDee” Diaz, Margo Paz, and Claudia Boone as the Witches
Kelly Fitzgerald as Hecate
Jake Rathmell as Malcolm

Laredo Theatre Guild International (LTGI), well into its 3rd successful season of plays, is once again preparing a great classic to present to Laredo audiences, William Shakespeare’s shortest and arguably most powerful play, “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” Commonly known simply as “Macbeth,” this most famous of Shakespeare’s tragedies is known for its ghosts, witches, and murderous bloodiness, which combine with its central story of royal lineage and succession to make it a timeless favorite. “Macbeth” will be presented by LTGI in cooperation with Texas A&M International University in the TAMIU Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Theatre.

Directed by Vernon Carroll and Produced by Joe Arciniega, the team that brought LTGI’s venerable smash hits, “The Sound of Music” and “Annie” to Laredo, “Macbeth” opens Thursday, February 2 and runs through Sunday, February 12, with performance times for each week from Thursday through Saturday at 8:00 PM with matinees Sunday at 3:00 PM. Tickets are $15 general admission and $10 for students with Valid ID and for Senior Citizens, and are available for advance purchase at Foster’s located at 1202 Del Mar Boulevard, Suite 101; Blue Top located at 101 Hillside Rd #11, and at the TAMIU Bookstore, as well as at the box office prior to each show. For more information, call (956) 319-8610 or visit www.laredotheaterguild.com.

According to director Vernon Carroll, “Murder, mayhem, magic, treachery and deceit, this has them all. It is one of Shakespeare’s most exciting plays, and not only for the actors in it. Audiences like it for the action. You can’t beat a good sword fight onstage to grab a crowd’s interest. We see a powerful, intelligent man who has a nation’s unquestioned support and admiration degenerate into a killer without a conscience. His death is inevitable and he knows it, but he goes down fighting. This is Shakespeare at his best!”

“Macbeth” will feature veteran Laredo performers, alongside novices, with cast member ages ranging from 11 to 70+ years old to best suit the roles, a practice for which LTGI has become known. According to producer and lead actor playing Macbeth, Joe Arciniega, “We work very hard to get as close to a professional experience for the audience and the cast as possible. When we have a call for a 70 year old, we look for one as hard as we can, and fortunately, we generally succeed.”

LTGI’s “Macbeth” features Joe Arciniega and Teena Arciniega as the Macbeths, as well as Vernon Carroll, John Maxstadt, Adolfo Ramos, Jake Rathmell, Ariadne Diaz, Margo Paz, Claudia Boone, Kelly Fitzgerald, and a cast of 20+ talented members of the community in various roles.

The Tragedy of Macbeth – Trailer from Marco Gonzalez on Vimeo.

For more information call LTGI at (956) 319-8610, email LTGI at laredotheaterguild@gmail.com, or visit LTGI on the web at www.laredotheaterguild.com

Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 3:00 p.m.

Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 3:00 p.m.

Theater on Menu Gala

Laredo Theatre Guild International (LTGI) will hold its first fund raising event titled, “Theater on the Menu: Musical Moments, Magical Memories,” a dinner with costumed musical theater entertainment featuring moments from great musicals such as “Man of La Mancha,” “The Sound of Music,” “Annie,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and others presented in Laredo over the past 10 years. The event will be held in the Texas A&M International University Student Center Ballroom beginning at 7:00 PM Friday, November 4, 2011.

Honorees for the evening are Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez and the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Foundation, represented by special guests, Trustees Shirley and Bob Gonzalez, for their support and generosity to benefit education, the arts, and many other charitable efforts in Laredo. Teena Beckelhymer Arciniega and Linda Lopez Howland will Co-Chair the event to be emceed by Joe Arciniega and Vernon Carroll.

Along with dinner and live entertainment, the evening will include a silent auction, as well as a costume exhibit featuring elaborate period costumes from LTGI shows, including those from “The Lion in Winter” and “The Importance of Being Earnest,” alongside those from the musicals.

Laredo Theater Guild International (LTGI) is a 501c3 nonprofit community based theater organization presenting a season of quality theatrical productions at Texas A&M International University and Laredo Community College, further enriching the community by engaging its members of all ages to provide a rewarding experience for them and for Laredo theatergoers. LTGI has also funded scholarships for eligible youth participating in their shows toward college credit in theater, music, and dance studies, as well as for acting workshops in New York, Los Angeles, and abroad. In February 2012, with its production of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” LTGI will launch its “Class on Stage Series,” an annual presentation of literary works conceived in participation with school district officials to present productions that are relevant, if not directly applicable, to the academic objectives of Laredo’s educational institutions toward learning enhancement for local students.

LTGI was formed in 2009 by conjoining Laredo Musical Theatre International, which was launched in 2001 and Laredo Theater Guild, which was launched in 2008. Its founders are Joe Arciniega, Dr. Mary Grace Carroll, Vernon Carroll, Sam Johnson, and Hortense Offerle. Joe Arciniega is the Artistic Director of Laredo Theater Guild International and Vernon Carroll is the current President of the Board of Directors. There are twenty-three members of the board and eight board advisors.

Tickets to the Gala Event are $100 per person or $1,000.00 for a table of 10, and are available by calling LTGI at (956) 319-8610, or email at laredotheaterguild@gmail.com. For event sponsorship information contact Lisa Longoria at 333-3922 or e-mail dimartinolr@aol.com .