Macbeth and his bloodthirsty wife ascend the throne at Baltimore's Center Stage March 29, in a staging of Shakespeare's Macbeth acted by an ensemble of 12.

Ritchie Coster is Macbeth, Pippa Pearthree is Lady Macbeth, Sean Haberle is Macduff, Jonathan Earl Peck is Banquo.

Tim Vasen, a Center Stage resident director, helms the production, which began previews March 24. Performances continue to May 7 at Center Stage's Pearlstone Theater.

The company also includes Roland Bull, Joy Ehrlich, Craig Mathers, Neal Moran, Robert Alexander Owens, Julyana Soelyisto, Dale Soules and Jacob Zahniser.

Soules appeared in the landmark Broadway stagings of Hair, The Magic Show and Getting Out. Soelyisto earned a Featured Actress Tony Award nomination for her role in Golden Child in 1998. Designers are Michael Vaughn Sims (set), Ilona Somogyi (costumes), Matthew Frey (lighting), Sten Severson (sound). Kim D. Sherman composed original music.

Tickets are $10-$45. Center Stage is at 700 N. Calvert Street in Baltimore. For information, call (410) 332-0033 or try the web site at www.centerstage.org.

-- By Kenneth Jones