It offers a thrilling interpretation of the dramatic realities of the times and a reimagining of what wartime must have been like for one of Shakespeare's most famous and compelling characters a story of all consuming passion and ambition set in war torn 11th Century Scotland." It continues with the scenes where Macbeth and his wife, played by actress Marion Cotillard, are crowned as king and queen.Īccording to the official synopsis, " Macbeth is the story of a fearless warrior and inspiring leader brought low by ambition and desire. The trailer opens with Macbeth, a Scottish lord-turned-traitor, who is obsessed to seize the throne, fighting with other warriors in a battlefield and soon he is seen sneaking up on the king's tent with a dagger. We can only hope that this week’s production ends well for Shakespeare at Notre Dame, the Center, and the incredible actors who will be in the show.The first trailer of the screen adaptation of Shakespeare's play Macbeth, shows actor Michael Fassbender in the titular role, vying to become a king. I avoid saying “Macbeth” in a theater unless absolutely necessary. It all sounds silly, but I swear that something was up around this play that wasn’t quite normal. Finally, and most spectacularly, a lightbulb exploded on opening night during the banquet scene, at which Banquo’s ghost appears to torment Macbeth. Another time, coiled wire unraveled in front of the director just as he discussed wanting to move the coil. One time, as I discussed with the director whether we would need to readjust some of the lights, the light above me swung down in the way I had just described. Although Washington Hall’s Lab Theatre, where we perform, is notoriously haunted, the ghost there seemed to kick it up a notch for the play, as though energized by the play’s magic. I was the light board operator for the Not-So-Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Macbeth in Fall 2017, and the play seemed to live up to its reputation. To me, it’s a bit terrifying to play around with that stuff.”įor my own part, I believe I the curse of the play. Shakespeare researched real witchcraft to put in his production. “Do I believe there’s darkness in the play Macbeth, itself? Absolutely. It’s generally best to avoid upsetting an actor prior to a performance.” However, she does believe in the power of the play. “My personal opinion is that if you end up working in the theater, best practice is to avoid saying the name, not because saying the name will curse the production, but because it could seriously upset a fellow actor who believes in the curse. Mary Elsa Henrichs, the Executive Producer of the student-run Not-So-Royal Shakespeare Company, may not believe in the curse of the name, but she avoids it as well. The origin of the curse supposedly comes from Shakespeare’s including actual dark magic rituals in the witches’ lines in the play. It’s a fun insider thing for theater people––other people are confused and you get to talk about how Shakespeare maybe put black magic incantations in the play.” “I will err on the side of “The Scottish Play” because it’s fun, and I enjoy the maintenance of the tradition. Grant Mudge, the Ryan Producing Artistic Director of the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, isn’t taking any chances. I asked a few Shakespeareans at Notre Dame about their thoughts on the superstition. In one remarkable staging starring Sir Ian McKellan and Dame Judi Dench, a priest sat in the theater every night with a crucifix to protect the actors from the evil forces conjured in the show.īecause of this, many actors avoid saying the name of the play in a theater. The Astor Place Riot in New York in 1849, in which a dispute between two actors playing Macbeth in rival productions, inflamed anti-British tensions at a performance that left at least 22 people dead. Many misfortunes, injuries, and even deaths have been reported surrounding productions of the play ever since. Other rumored mishaps include real daggers being used in place of stage props for the murder of King Duncan (resulting in the actor’s death).” (This interestingly implies that Duncan’s death was initially portrayed on stage, while the script leaves it out.) The actor playing Lady Macbeth died suddenly, so Shakespeare himself had to take on the part. According to the Royal Shakespeare Company, “Legend has it the play’s first performance (around 1606) was riddled with disaster. In revenge for spilling their secrets, a coven of witches cursed the play. The origin of the curse supposedly comes from Shakespeare including actual dark magic rituals in the witches’ lines in the play.