Macbeth Program Notes

Director’s Notes

“What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.”

-Duncan Act 1 Scene2

We were two weeks into rehearsal when COVID-19 postponed our production for 6 months. Six months later and theatres around the world from Broadway to KC remain closed. So Macbeth the podcast came to life. Transferring Shakespeare from the stage to the ears of our listeners was a surprisingly easier task than I had imagined. A lot of Shakespeare actor training goes into speaking the text for audience members to ‘hear’ the words. Shakespeare metaphors had to cut through the open aired Globe Theatre and concoct the world of the play in his audience’s imagination. The atmosphere of Macbeth is evoked with his repetition of words like blood, night and time. There are also witches’ spells and Lady Macbeth’s invocation to commit evil acts to conjure up a world of power lust. Like his earlier counterpart Richard III, Macbeth pursues power with a relentless ambition. And once Macbeth gains the throne through nefarious means he is plagued by inner demons that convince him that others are planning equally devious means to take the crown from him. I believe that Macbeth’s downfall is not so much the witches’ prophecy but rather his own tormented psychology that swallows his consciousness and raises his hubris to commit more murder. Macbeth is a taut murder mystery where the audience knows ‘who dunnit’ and the rest of the characters catching up to Macbeth’s ruthless murders. Shakespeare allows you the listener inside the “heat-oppressed brain” of one of his darkest villains. We hope you enjoy Kansas Theatre Works production of Macbeth.

David Mackay, Director

Follow along with the script

Episode Guide--A summary of scenes

Cast Biographies

Cast

DUNCAN, king of Scotland	Jacob Edelman-Dolan
MALCOM, his son	Michael Duncan
DONALBAIN, his son	Ian Boyd-Duncan
MACBETH	Cole Rockhold
BANQUO	Brett Broadbent
MACDUFF, Nobleman of Scottland	Sterling Oliver
LENNOX	Sam Neel
ROSS	Chelsea Turner
ANGUS	Morgan Boyer
SEYTON, an officer attending	Victor Romo
A DOCTOR	Jacob Edelman-Dolan
A PORTER	Morgan Boyer
AN OLD MAN	Jacob Edelman-Dolan
THREE MURDERERS	Victor Romo as Seyton
	Ian Boyd-Duncan
	Zachary Smalley
CAPTAIN	Sam Neel
MESSENGER	Karly Breshears
SOLDIER	Zachary Smalley
LADY MACBETH	Kaitllyn Burns
LADY MACDUFF	Brooke Griggs
SON of Lady Macduff and Macduff	Jackson Welsh
FLEANCE son of Banquo	Brooke Griggs
A GENTLEWOMAN attending Lady Macbeth	Karly Breshears
A GENTLEWOMAN attending Lady Macduff	Karly Breshears
WITCHES	Lauren Taylor
	Emma Price
	Megan McGehee
SERVANTS, SOLDIERS, and ATTENDANTS	Company
STAGE DIRECTIONS	Chelsea Turner

Stage Manager: Addie Price

Assistant Stage Manager: Logan Peralez

Production Team:

Podcast Hosts:

Additional podcast voices;