The notoriously haunted Schwab Auditorium will be plagued by another ghost this Halloween -- the ghost of Duncan.

The Actors from the London Stage will be performing Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, next Wednesday and Thursday.

The shortest of Shakespeare's four tragedies, Macbeth concerns the dangers of lusting for power and betraying friends.

Macbeth, a general, encounters a trio of witches who prophesize that he will become king of Scotland. He is intrigued but hesitant about the prospect of becoming king. Lady Macbeth, who shares none of her husband's uncertainty, uses her manipulative power to convince her husband that he must murder the current king, Duncan, and take the throne.

Charlotte Allam, one of the cast members, said before performing this play, she only knew it "loosely."

"I have come to really enjoy it. It's not my favorite Shakespeare play, but because I play six parts, I get a good exploration of it," Allam said. "There are many different characters and one main plot. It has a little bit of everything."

Actors from the London Stage is a touring Shakespeare group that started 32 years ago. The tour visits universities in order to bring authentic Shakespeare productions to students and faculty and to workshop at these universities.

Laura Sullivan, director of marketing and communications at Center for the Performing Arts (CPA), said CPA has booked this group before, and it did a great job.

"They use minimum sets, and the actors play multiple roles, which forces the audience to focus on what is being said," Sullivan said.

"It is an interesting performance because there are only slight costume changes. The actors have to be very talented to switch roles, and they have to really know the whole play," she said.

Allam said the cast consists of five actors all playing multiple roles. There is virtually no set with the exception of seven chairs and two tables. All five actors remain on stage at all times and only slight costume changes are made to distinguish characters.

"Playing six roles has been both difficult and good fun. It's exhilarating and you have to be imaginative in your choices," Allam said. "For costumes, the men have a basic costume and the women have a basic costume, and we add accessories ... to differentiate between the characters.

"As an actor, you also have to differentiate through vocals and not rely on costumes. Imagination is the name of the day," she said.

Macbeth may have been one of those plays that all high school students had to read, but seeing it on the stage will change your outlook of it, Allam said.

"To state the obvious, [Macbeth] was written to be performed and heard. In [Shakespeare's] time, the audience would have gone to hear the play," Allam said.

"I feel they were much more sensitive to language. And I feel hearing it helps its comprehension and makes it clearer. Seeing it brings out the drama," she said.

Allam said the biggest challenge the cast confronted was that there is no director for the play. The five actors are not only responsible for acting the parts of the show but also deciding aspects like the music, costumes, and staging.

"It's really our show. It's not usual for actors to give others notes and having to direct colleagues. You can't let your ego get in the way," she said. "Rehearsals have been the trickiest part because there's been a lot of negotiation and compromise, but at the same time, it's been potentially liberating."

Sullivan said students should come out to see this ghostly show in the notoriously haunted auditorium.

"You never know what will happen on Halloween at Schwab. There's a whole attraction to the event," Sullivan said. "Students can come in costume and head off after the show."

Allam said she is not a superstitious person, so performing Macbeth on Halloween doesn't bother her.

"I don't mind if someone says 'Macbeth' in the theater. I've performed before at a supposed haunted auditorium before and the ghost never showed," she said, "so if anything it just adds a bit of excitement to the evening."

Allam said the members of Actors from the London Stage are unique because they rely on the text and acting instead of the gimmicks and effects.

"You'll get to see five actors running a relay race, passing the baton to someone else," Allam said.

"Without the use of elaborate sets and costumes you have to use your imagination and be inventive," she said. "And it's got witches, ghosts and sex. There isn't a dull moment."