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THEATER East meets west in one-man show New to Ashland but not to stage, actor melds iconic works by Shakespeare and Khayyam Comment By Evalyn Hansen For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Evalyn Hansen For the Tidings Posted Apr. 30, 2015 at 2:00 AM By Evalyn Hansen For the Tidings Posted Apr. 30, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Social News This weekend’s presentation “Sacred & Profane: Macbeth & the Rubaiyat” at the Ashland Community Center promises great poetry with stunning contrasts encompassing two great works of literature: "The Rubaiyat" by Omar Khayyam and Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” in a unique performance by celebrated charismatic actor, Jesai Jayhmes. “Macbeth” is about duality. It’s about dark and light, male and female, and greed and revenge paying lip-service to love. The Rubaiyat is: ‘We’re all one thing. This is it. Live in this moment,’” said Jayhmes, whose unconventional performance works have been inspired by Peter Brook, Jerzy Grotowski, Philip Glass and Pina Bausch, to name a few. Jayhmes is not using the common translation of "The Rubaiyat" by Edward Fitzgerald. Instead he is working from the Robert Graves and Omar Ali Shaw translation, which is said to be more respectful of the Sufi background that created it. “Macbeth is the ultimate of dysfunctional relationships that end up in murder and death. The Rubaiyat is significantly different in tone. It is bliss and joy and living in the moment because you never know when we’re going to die. They are polar opposites. One is dark and one is light. The comparison is that they both deal with death as an immediate thing. “They both use wine in completely different metaphorical ways. Macbeth uses it to numb himself so he can’t feel the pain anymore. The Sufi metaphor for wine is mystical union with the Beloved. The differences are duality and oneness, as on a spiritual level. “I call this a solo version of 'Macbeth,' but there are other appearances in it. There is audience participation. It’s completely unpredictable. People passionate about Shakespeare may be perturbed, challenged or bemused by the liberties that I have taken with it. It’s the text. I haven’t changed the words. I’m doing the Jungian/Freudian interpretation, inner psychological. It’s like being inside the mind of a schizophrenic. The idea of myself playing opposite Lady Macbeth (who is myself) is an interesting challenge.” Jayhmes is a professional theater artist who has acted, directed and written for more than 35 years. He has embraced spiritual texts and original material with a firm grounding in the classics. His passion for theater and its power to transform and build communities has caused him to form the Transformational Theatre T3. He came to the area in August  after working and studying in England (at The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, one of the leading drama schools of Britain), teaching at Yale and performing with a Dutch acting company. “It’s my hope to introduce Jesai Jayhmes to Ashland,” explained Jeannine Grizzard of Ashland Contemporary Theatre, “and to present two polarized views of the world examining their underlying philosophies.” “Expect conventions to be broken, preconceptions to be turned on their heads, and creative license taken to the extreme,” said Jayhmes, “It’s the experience of the audience that is most important to me, that they’re completely wrapped into the action. It’s happening in real time. There’s no place where it exists other than in front of these people right now. My intent is that it blows the minds of the people who come. There’s an intended conversation with the audience at the end.” “Sacred & Profane: Macbeth & the Rubaiyat” is presented by Ashland Contemporary Theatre in collaboration with The Transformational Theatre T3. Performances begin at 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, May 2, and at 8 p.m. Sunday, May 3. Tickets are $15 in advance (at Paddington Station, the Grocery Outlet or online) and $20 at the door. For more information, call 541-646-2971 or go to www.ashlandcontemporarytheatre.org. Evalyn Hansen is a writer and director living in Ashland. She trained as an actor at the American Conservatory Theatre and is a founding member of San Francisco's Magic Theatre. Reach her at [email protected].       By Evalyn Hansen For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Evalyn Hansen For the Tidings Posted Apr. 30, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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