So, I recently closed The Shakespeare Center of LA’s The Tragedie of Macbeth, and it was such an amazing experience. I loved my cast, our crew, our show! Everything made it the most perfect first Shakespeare experience for me.
If you’ve been here before, you’ve practically watched this journey from start to finish, from my audition, to my callback, some in-between goodies, and now this! It’s been a whirlwind of firsts for me with this project and a master-class-like opportunity. Feel free to check out some of my previous articles to see how I got to this point with Macbeth.
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So without further ado, meet my SIX characters!
1.) 3rd Witch
Who she is: 3rd Witch is the youngest of the 3 witches. She sees/feels/hears spirits that the other two can’t process. She’s a conduit for evil! She is easily excited and her favorite food is Pickled Soul. If you’d ever like to know what goes bump in the night at your house that you can’t see, you can reach her by chanting, “Harpy cries, ’tis time, ’tis time!”
Favorite show moment: During the cauldron scene, each witch gets possessed by a spirit, who tells Macbeth a piece of advice. First of all, we’re giving this cauldron and these apparitions all of the power on stage, which takes some mad energy and commitment. But most importantly, I DO BACK BENDS FOR THESE AUDIENCES. It was my favorite thing to actually feel like this apparition just broke my back in two. It was like I indulged in it, but I didn’t really indulge because it was painful? Does that make sense?
Notable line: And this was sung: “Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron for the ingredients of our cauldron!” It was my favorite because the melody went higher on that bit and made it really dramatic!
2.) Fleance
Who he is: Fleance is the son of Banquo. He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s going to be king someday! He’s 14 years old, has a ravenous appetite, and herds pigs for his father. He’s also got a crush on a girl named Jenny who has hair like silk and lives on the next farm over.
Favorite show moment: The first time we meet Fleance, he’s just woken up to find that his father isn’t in their quarters, so he goes out with a lantern to find him, or at least wait up for him. This time around, the battery-powered lantern was flickering on and off as I walked in, so I just pretended that my flame had gone out and lowered it, disappointed. Well, someone in the audience understood what was going on, because I got a “Ha!” as I made my way to the pillar. (Plus, at the end of the scene when Macbeth gives me his lantern, it made sense!)
Notable line: “I take it ’tis later, father.” We actually changed that line a bit, since we really wanted people to understand the relationship here. Originally, it was, “I take it ’tis later, sir.”
3.) Musician
Who she is: Musician loves to sing and play the tambourine! She’s never met the king and queen before, so getting to perform at their banquet is the highest honor for her. She’s sure that the pair of them are kind, sane people.
Favorite show moment: Every time anyone in the cast interacts with the Musician during the banquet scene is a good time. She’s there to sing in the background and add to the sound of the scene, so at the beginning of the run, I didn’t get very many cast mates actually looking at the Musician. By the end of the run, though, there were practically silent conversations between us!
Notable line: “Bonnie lassie, I’ll lie near you yet.”
4.) Lady Macduff
Who she is: Lady Macduff is the wife of Macduff, the man who eventually (spoiler alert!) kills Macbeth. Lady Macduff is a little frivolous in her thinking, but for the most part is a good spouse for Macduff. She believes in honor, pride, and sense. She’s got six kids, and the first one she really struggled for.
Favorite show moment: When the murderers (another spoiler alert!) get to murdering Lady Macduff and her first-born son, there’s a bit where I am thrown from one murderer to the other, get stabbed in a hug-like embrace, and then get thrown again in a different direction, running away and screaming “Murder!” Well, we got a little too into it one time, so when I was stabbed and flung, I just collapsed onto the floor. And it was dramatic. As. HECK.
Notable line: “Fathered he is, and yet he’s fatherless.” This one was real emotional for me. It was the obvious winner of her lines.
5.) Gentlewoman
Who she is: Now she might look like Musician, but do not confuse the two: Gentlewoman has known Lady Macbeth for practically their entire lives. She takes care of her and considers her a life-long friend. She knows they could never be equals, but that doesn’t bother her. She was born to take care of people. When Lady M started sleepwalking, it was terrifying. Then, even more terrifying because if Lady M said “Come,” and you did, she’d practically attack you out of delusion. She knew Lady M was in some sort of trouble. She actually guessed Macbeth was beating her. Lady M kept murmuring something about blood, which was confusing and scary to Gentlewoman.
Favorite show moment: I finally understood one of my lines TWO DAYS BEFORE CLOSING. I was on stage with the Doctor and Lady M for sleepwalking, and Lady M says some crazy murderous stuff. The Doctor says to me, “Go to, go to, you have heard what you should not,” and I reply, “She has spoke what she should not, I am sure of that. Heaven knows what she has known.” This entire time I’d been doing it like, wait a minute, you want me to leave when she’s the guilty one? But that’s so not what it was. I realized the moment after I said it that I was supposed to be covering for her. Protecting her. Standing up for her. Like, hey! There’s no way she means that! Who knows what actually happened?! Everything clicked into place but I only had 2 more shows to show off my newfound knowledge!
Notable line: “She has spoke what she should not, I am sure of that. Heaven knows what she has known.”
6.) Soldier
Who he is: Soldier is a soldier for Macbeth’s army. As it’s been said, he acts only in fear, nothing in love. He’s just there to win some bread for the fam and not die. (Neither of those things happen)
Favorite show moment: Soldier appears in one 30 second mini scene where he and another Macbethian attack Young Siward and lose. Badly. There was this one time where I definitely almost broke Erin’s (Young Siward’s) finger. AND THEN weeks later I accidentally put MY finger in HER sword’s path and BAM! I almost broke my own finger. Thank God both of us are alright. Ha!
Notable line: “AGGHHHHHH!!!!”
Bonus character: Soldier for the Good Guys
After Macbethian Soldier is slain, I take off that costume and put on the witch’s cape and call myself a good guy. Then, I have an onstage changed into witch!
Thanks so much for reading!
I had so much fun doing The Tragedie of Macbeth and I can’t believe it’s over. I remember telling my friends, “Alright, I won’t see you for 2 months! Have fun!” And here we are at the end of those 2 months. Incredible. A passage of time.
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