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BINGHAM SIGNATURE SHAKESPEARE
MACBETH
by William Shakespeare
directed by Les Waters
Oct. 4–26
2016
502.584.1205
actorstheatre.org
PLAY G U I D E
IN THIS PLAY GUIDE
MACBETH
SUMMARY
3
4
SETTING & CHARACTERS
GLOSSARY
5
6
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION: CONSCIENCE OVERRIDE
9
WRITING PORTFOLIO &
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
10 BRIDGEWORK
ABOUT THIS PLAY GUIDE
This play guide is a resource designed to enhance your theatre
experience. Its goal is twofold: to nurture the teaching and learning
of theatre arts, and to encourage essential questions that lead to
an enduring understanding of the play’s meaning and relevance.
Inside you will find information about the plot and characters
within the play, as well as an article that contextualizes the play
and its production at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Oral discussion
and writing prompts encourage your students to reflect upon their
impressions, analyze key ideas, and relate them to their personal
experiences and the world around them. These prompts can easily
be adapted to fit most writing objectives. We encourage you to adapt
and extend the material in any way that best fits the needs of your
community of learners. Please feel free to make copies of this guide,
or you may download it from our website at actorstheatre.org. We
hope this material, combined with our pre-show workshops, will
give you the tools to make your time at Actors Theatre a valuable
learning experience.
MACBETH STUDENT MATINEES AND THIS PLAY
GUIDE ADDRESS SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL
OBJECTIVES:
COMMON CORE STATE
STANDARDS
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.1
Write arguments to support claims
in an analysis of substantive topics or
texts using valid reasoning and relevant
and sufficient evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.2
Write informative/explanatory texts
to examine and convey complex ideas
and information clearly and accurately
through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.3
Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details
and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.5
Analyze the structure of texts, including
how specific sentences, paragraphs,
and larger portions of the text (e.g., a
section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate
to each other and the whole.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.6
Assess how point of view or purpose
shapes the content and style of a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7
Integrate and evaluate content
presented in diverse media and formats,
including visually and quantitatively, as
well as in words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2
Integrate and evaluate information
presented in diverse media and formats,
including visually, quantitatively, and
orally.
NATIONAL CORE ARTS
STANDARDS
TH.Re7.1 Perceive and analyze artistic
work.
TH.Re8.1 Interpret intent and meaning
in artistic work.
TH.Re9.1 Apply criteria to evaluate
artistic work.
TH.Cn10.1 Synthesize and relate
knowledge and personal experiences to
make art.
TH.Cn11.1 Relate artistic ideas
and works with societal, cultural
and historical context to deepen
understanding.
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding our play guides,
please contact Jane B. Jones, Education Director, at 502.584.1265 x3045.
EDUCATION DIRECTOR
Jane B. Jones
EDUCATION MANAGER
Betsy Anne Huggins
EDUCATION ASSOCIATE
Lexy Leuszler
RESIDENT
TEACHING ARTISTS
Liz Fentress
Keith McGill
Talleri McRae
Letitia Usher
EDUCATION/TEACHING
ARTIST APPRENTICES
Victoria Masteller
Elliot Talkington
PLAY GUIDE BY
Maddi Fuller
Jane B. Jones
Amy Wegener
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Amie Villiger
316 West Main Street
Louisville, KY 40202-4218
MACBETH SUMMARY
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Les Waters
How far would you go to achieve your greatest ambition? Grand hopes give rise to
ghastly deeds in Shakespeare’s riveting tale of a brave warrior and his wife who
become murderous monarchs, caught in the thrall of power’s dark temptations.
Unfolding in a blood-soaked world haunted by ghosts and supernatural forces,
Macbeth is one of the theatre’s most fascinating horror stories about betrayal,
dangerous desire, and the kind of evil that never sleeps.
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Kevin E. Moore
BINGHAM
SIGNATURE
SHAKESPEARE
Actors Theatre’s production of
Macbeth is part of Shakespeare in
American Communities, a program of
the National Endowment for the Arts in
partnership with Arts Midwest.
3
THE SETTING
SIGNIFICANT PLACES:
FORRES: In northern Scotland, where King
Duncan’s castle is located.
INVERNESS: In northern Scotland, where
Macbeth’s castle is located, about 25 miles west of
Forres.
DUNSINANE: Dunsinane Hill is a peak in the Sidlaw
Hills in Scotland, northeast of Perth, where Macbeth
fortifies a castle to make his last stand.
BIRNAM WOOD: The forest near Dunsinane.
FIFE: Area in eastern Scotland where Macduff and
his family live.
KING EDWARD’S REALM: In England, where
Malcolm flees after his father (Duncan) is murdered.
THE CHARACTERS
DUNCAN: The King of Scotland
MACDUFF: The Thane of Fife
DONALBAIN: Duncan’s younger son
LADY MACDUFF: Macduff’s wife
MALCOLM: Duncan’s older son
LENOX, ROSS, MENTEITH, ANGUS: Scottish
noblemen
MACBETH: A general in Duncan’s army, Thane of
Glamis
LADY MACBETH: Macbeth’s wife
BANQUO: A general in Duncan’s army, Macbeth’s
friend
FLEANCE: The son of Banquo
SIWARD: Earl of Northumberland, an English
general
YOUND SIWARD: Siward’s son
SEYTON: Attends Macbeth
THREE WITCHES
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GLOSSARY
AGUE: Sickness or disease.
ANON: Soon.
AVARICE: Greed.
AVAUNT: Begone.
DISPATCH: Management. “Dispatch” can also mean putting to death.
DUDGEON: A kind of wood used to make the handles of daggers or knives; here, the hilt of a dagger.
FOISON: Strength of power; resources.
GOLGOTHA: Another name for Calvary, the site outside Jerusalem’s walls where Jesus was crucified.
HEATH: Area of open, uncultivated land with coarse, low grass.
KERNS: Fierce Irish soldiers. A Kern was a light-armed footsoldier.
GALLOWGLASSES: Horsemen armed with sharp axes.
MALICE: Intention or desire to do evil.
PARRICIDE: The killing of a father, mother or close relative.
SOOTH: Truth.
THANE: A title used in Scotland as the equivalent of a baron; a landowner and chief of a clan.
WARDER: Guardian or watchman.
WEAL: Commonwealth; state.
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CONSCIENCE
OVERRIDE
How far would you go to achieve your wildest ambition, if it were dangled within
your reach? One of literature’s most exhilarating tales of treachery, Shakespeare’s
Macbeth pushes that question to its dark and dangerous extremes, putting its
title character on a bloody roller coaster of betrayal. Macbeth begins the play a
celebrated warrior, just returned from eviscerating his enemies in battle; elevated
in rank and in his king’s good graces, he seems already marked for greatness.
But when a prophecy promises him greater fortune still, Macbeth—goaded on by
his bold wife—sets off a murderous chain of events. “It’s about the attraction of
power,” says Artistic Director Les Waters, who brings his interpretation of the
play to the Pamela Brown Auditorium with a stellar cast and design team this
October. “And it’s about the combination of two people who push one another to
grab power—and then discover that it destroys them.”
This classic holds fascination for Waters not only for its examination of ambition
and power, but also because Shakespeare has filled Macbeth with ghosts,
apparitions, and the Weïrd Sisters who reveal future events that come to pass.
“I’m really interested in the whole idea of the supernatural at work in the play,”
explains Waters. “Where I come from, in the rural villages where my grandparents
lived as agricultural workers in England, there were what my grandmother called
‘thin places,’ membranes between this world and the next, and we were warned not
to go near them. So I’m compelled by the notion of parallel worlds to our own,
where the unknown/evil is happening.” As Macbeth’s mind becomes haunted by his
“unnatural deeds,” and he grows increasingly desperate for a sense of security that
eludes him, the world of the play becomes haunted as well. The boundary keeping
some parallel dimension of horror at bay, once trespassed, seems to dissolve.
(Continued on next page)
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For returning actor Andrew Garman, whom Waters
has cast in the title role, understanding Macbeth’s mind
“full of scorpions” will be a thrilling challenge. “For
all the supernatural aspects of the play, it’s also such
an uncompromising examination of human behavior,”
explains Garman. “What I think I’m most excited about
is finding, or revealing, an experience of Macbeth that
completely supports and justifies his extraordinary
language. And Les has an incredibly sensitive ear for
language, how to make it work most effectively. He’s
also pretty much fearless when it comes to exploring
difficult and complex emotion and interaction, and the
play is just full of that. I trust him completely, and I’m
so excited and grateful to now be working with him on
Shakespeare.”
to be secure in what he’s done, surrounded by people who
know he’s done it and are watching him, he can’t stop—it’s
both personal and political.” From the performer’s point
of view, Garman also feels that propulsion and suspense.
“Events unfold rather quickly. Decisions are made, actions
are taken, all of which can’t be undone,” he observes. “Time
pushes forward, pushes Macbeth forward. As an actor, I
really appreciate that kind of force pressing against me, the
momentum of consequences playing out.”
The show’s visual and aural elements will help to create
that sense of a dangerous world tumbling inexorably
forward, also channeling Shakespeare’s imagination for
our own time. This production is set in the present day,
with a distinctly 21st-century look: Andrew Boyce’s striking
scenic design is a room made of
Last seen at Actors in
panels, with sliding glass doors
What
if
you
achieve
what
The Glory of the World (2015
and a black floor, and Kristopher
you’d dreamed, and realize
Humana Festival), and widely
Castle’s costumes for the
acclaimed for his performance
production will be contemporary.
that it has no meaning?
as Pastor Paul in The Christians
Mark Barton (lighting design) and
(2014 Humana Festival, likewise
Christian Frederickson (sound
—Director Les Waters
directed by Waters), Garman
design) complete this team of
is no stranger to inhabiting leaders who struggle with
Actors Theatre veterans working together to bring Waters’
decisions from which there’s no turning back. “Andrew
vision to bloody life, brainstorming ingenious ways to draw
is one of my favorite collaborators,” says Waters, “and
the audience into the action—and into Macbeth’s troubled
I find him a very truthful actor who is willing to go
mind as thoughts become deeds.
where the script will take him. He’s very open, and not
protective of himself onstage. The Christians examined
“It feels like one big thought, and then the play just
choices based in belief, acting out of conscience, and
examines the thought to its logical conclusion,” Waters
I’m very interested in exploring the opposite of that
elaborates, speaking of the tale’s exciting momentum
with Andrew. What if you completely override your
through Macbeth’s rise and fall. “And in the process of
conscience to get what you want—and how do you live
spinning that thought, Shakespeare is throwing out an
with yourself after that?”
awful lot of questions. What if you get what you want,
but can’t hold onto it? I think the whole issue of having
For all of its dazzling language and trenchant
children in the play is enormous too; Macbeth becomes
exploration of the dark side of human nature, watching
king, but he has no heir. What if you achieve what you’d
Macbeth is also, in Waters’ words, “like getting in a
dreamed, and realize that it has no meaning? And then to
very beautiful, fast car and then driving it at full speed
rage onward as Macbeth does, out of that thought—well,
into a wall.” The shortest of Shakespeare’s tragedies, it
that’s very intriguing to me.” In this chilling Macbeth,
feels like “the most propulsive of his plays,” the director
Waters, Garman and team plan to “walk into the darkness”
continues. “Somebody tells you what will happen, and
(as Garman puts it), and the journey is bound to be riveting.
then the characters make it happen. And for Macbeth
—Amy Wegener
12
7
Clockwise from top: A preliminary rendering of the set, by Scenic Designer Andrew Boyce, conveys the striking contemporary look
of this production. Andrew Garman (at left, battling Bruce McKenzie) returns this season to play the title role in Macbeth. Garman
last appeared at Actors Theatre in Les Waters’ production of The Glory of the World by Charles Mee. Photo by Bill Brymer. Garman
in Waters’ production of Lucas Hnath’s The Christians, pictured here with Linda Powell in the 2014 Humana Festival production.
Continuing in the role for the show’s celebrated New York and Los Angeles runs, Garman received Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Award
nominations for Outstanding Actor. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
13 8
WRITING PORTFOLIO
NARRATIVE: CCRA.W.3
INFORMATIVE: CCRA.W.2
In Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Tom Stoppard
makes two minor characters from Hamlet, Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern, his main characters. Stoppard imagines
what R&G might be doing during Hamlet. Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern Are Dead explores themes such as
Hamlet’s existential crisis and the consequences of his
actions (and inactions) through a new lens. Choose a minor
character from Macbeth, such as Lady Macduff, Malcolm,
or even one of the Witches, and have them tell the story
of King Duncan’s murder from their point of view. What
information do they have? Who do they think murdered
Duncan and why? How does creating this new narrative
inform your understanding of Macbeth?
Write a review of the performance of Macbeth that you
saw at Actors Theatre of Louisville. What parts of the
play (the actors’ performances, the set, props, costumes,
lighting and sound design, etc.) were your favorites, and
why? How effective were these elements in telling the
story? Back up your claims with evidence and details from
your experience of watching the performance. Then, make
a copy and send it to the education department at
ARGUMENTATIVE: CCRA.W.1
We will share your thoughts with the creative team.
Actors Theatre of Louisville
c/o Jane B. Jones
316 West Main Street
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
Who do you think is to blame for the all death and
destruction in Macbeth? Is it the Witches, who prophesy
that Macbeth will become King? Or Lady Macbeth,
who encourages her husband to pick up the dagger and
take the throne for his own? Or is it Macbeth, who takes
people’s lives to seize and retain power? Use evidence
and examples from the text to justify your position.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
PRE-SHOW QUESTIONS
POST-SHOW QUESTIONS
1. One of the most striking themes in Macbeth is
ambition. Macbeth is driven by his desire for power,
but is ultimately destroyed by it. What are some of
your ambitions? How far would you go to achieve your
goals, and where would you draw the line?
1. This production, like many others, cuts some lines
that appear in modern published versions of the text.
Did you notice any differences compared to versions
you’ve seen or read? What were the themes or events
this production highlighted based on the edits that
were made?
2. Macbeth and Banquo both receive prophecies from
the Witches. Macbeth decides to act to ensure that
they come true, while Banquo chooses not to change
his behavior and lets life unfold as it does. What do
you think is the best course of action when given
information about the future? If you were given a
prophecy, how would you respond to the knowledge
bestowed upon you?
2. This production of Macbeth is visually stunning
and sometimes frightening. What images or motifs
stand out to you from the production? If you were to
stage Macbeth, what would you do differently or keep
the same? What themes or ideas would you want to
highlight in your production?
9
BRIDGEWORK
AT YOUR DESK
AWAY FROM YOUR DESK
1. In the beginning of Act 5, Lady Macbeth wrings her
hands and says her famous line, “Out, damned spot!
out, I say!” Read the scene to determine what she
means. What does the “spot” symbolize? Do you think
the metaphor Shakespeare created resonates with
current audiences? If you were to modernize this
scene, how would you show Lady Macbeth’s emotional
turmoil? What metaphor would you use? Compare
your answer with the response of a classmate.
1. The audience knows who kills the king before many
of the characters in Macbeth do. This activity is a
fun way to explore the tension of not knowing where
the danger is coming from. You will need to create
enough role cards for each participant. The card
should have a character’s name and a line from the
play. The number of roles can be flexible depending
on the group (larger or smaller than the cast), but
there should only be one Macbeth and one Macduff.
For the action of the game, everyone walks around
and shakes hands. Macbeth secretly scratches the
palms of other players, signaling them to die. To keep
Macbeth’s identity secret, after a player’s palm has
been scratched they must shake two more hands
before dying. As the player dies, they read their line
from the play. If you like, you can also write character
descriptions on the cards to give more context. After
each character dies, Macduff must guess which
participant is secretly Macbeth. If Macduff guesses
incorrectly, the innocent participant gets to keep
playing. Play continues until Macbeth is caught or
all the characters have died. Players who have died
cannot give hints, but all players who are still alive
can be involved in guessing after a death.
2.Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most renowned
tragedies. Look up some famous lines from the text,
such as “So fair and foul a day I have not seen” or “But
screw your courage to the sticking place, and we’ll not
fail.” Using just those quotes, see if you can arrange
them to convey the major events of the play. With a
partner, read your new scene to the class or a small
group and see if there are new themes or ideas that are
revealed from your new scene.
2. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have a complex
relationship, and their power dynamic shifts
throughout the course of the play. Read through
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s scenes with a partner.
Mark on the script who has power when. Decide who
will be each character and try to show the shifts in
power just through body language and physicality.
What are the most interesting or extreme physical
choices you can make to show how the power
changes between the characters? Share your scenes
with other pairs in class.
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