Co-Directors Statement
Written by Shakespeare during a time of civil unrest and plague in Jacobean England, Macbeth’s examination of the corruption that stems from the thirst for absolute power strikes eerie parallels in today’s geopolitical society–offering humankind a cautionary tale roughly 416 years since its first staging by the King’s Men ca. 1606. Striking in its textual and thematic immediacy, Macbeth often feels as fresh today as it must have during its initial performance at the Globe all those years ago; so we find ourselves here, today, examining the societal costs that stem from a singular couple’s thirst for unchecked power–and how the company assembled before you today may band together to evolve and share this timeless story.
Theatre, as a mirror to society, is ever expanding, ever evolving–and so do the working methodologies within it. We both firmly believe that collaboration is the lifeforce of theatre. The more voices involved in the creation of a project, the better. It is with that spirit we have stepped into this space together to work on this production, one vision–many voices, from the ensemble on stage to the designers and producer–distilled and focused here tonight by the two of us in an exchange of breath and momentum.
Thousands, if not, millions of artists have been drawn to this story and in doing so wrestled with its themes of madness, ambition, catharsis, betrayal, ethos, time, and humanity (to name a few). When approaching this story, we chose to look at the cyclical nature of the human condition and what happens when one’s ambition creates an avalanche–all powerful, unstoppable, deadly. Through examining the singular story of the Macbeth’s rise and fall from power, we have the opportunity to consider the repetitive nature of human events, and how they impact society at large.
We see people rise and fall, seemingly daily, in a multitude of ways (whether that be through wealth, power, or influence). Yet we must ask ourselves if this is due to our own choices–human, fallible, personal–or external forces that take away our free will and shape our fate for us? Do we evolve? Can we move forward? Will this story ever stop its incessant cycle? That is for you to decide.
- Justin Matthew Gordon and Noah Lucé
