Eden-Lee Murray had put in four months’ work on the Hawaii Theatre Young Actors Ensemble production of "Macbeth" when another student theater program announced it was going to do the Shakesperean tragedy, too.

Two student productions of "Macbeth" in the same school year seemed a bit much, and the other group’s show was going to run first. What to do?

Murray took a deep breath and decided to change the focus of the story from the tragically flawed title character to the witches who play a pivotal role in his destruction.

"Part of the (educational) program I’m running is teaching the kids how to create a character, so since September I’ve had the kids creating their own very idiosyncratic witches, and then we’ve got it as if this is a coven of witches who have gathered in the theater to tell the story," Murray said.

"Each of the witches plays a role, and in some cases two, in the story, so as actors (the students) have to create not only their witch, but then their witch has to create a completely different character. It’s been a fascinating process to watch them work."

Murray’s cast consists of 13 actors ages 12 to 19. The youngest is an eighth-grader "who gave an extraordinary audition"; the oldest are recent high school graduates who have put in several years with the program at Hawaii Theatre. Students must audition to join the group, which meets twice a week after school throughout the year, with additional Sunday afternoon rehearsals between Christmas and the spring show.

This year the cast is doubling as the stage crew.

The traditional view of "Macbeth" over the 400 years since its first known performances is that Macbeth is ambitious but honorable until the witches’ prophesies fire his ambition and set him on the path to his own destruction.

Murray disagrees.

"There’s something (in Macbeth) that’s corrupt that the witches are able to pull on," she says. "The fact that Macbeth responds so strongly to the witches when they first encounter him implies that he’s already considered killing the king to advance himself. They’re able to manipulate him because he’s already corrupt. He’s a leader, he’s a warrior, he’s a good man, but there is a flaw."

Whether the witches are seen as ridding the world of an evil person or malevolently misleading a basically honorable man, Murray hopes the show will encourage discussion.

"Look at how versatile Shakespeare is. There isn’t just one way to pre­sent it as long as you serve the values of the play, and I think we do that. I haven’t changed the text. We’re doing Shakespeare."