Theater:

Macbeth (1936)

Aspiring directors could do worse than make their New York debut in the manner Orson Welles made his. As part of the Works Progress Administration Theater Project, Welles and John Houseman took a group of African-American actors who in most cases had never played any classical roles, much less Shakespeare, and led them through a production of Macbeth. Set in the Haiti of the emperor Christophe, Welles subsituted voodoo witch doctors for the three witches of the play. With their drums and chanting, the effect was no doubt quite impressive. Surviving newsreel footage from the play can be seen in the Battle Over Citizen Kane documentary, as well as the Treasures From the American Film Archives set. Only a few minutes were captured from the play, near the end, but it's probably the only surviving footage from any of Welles' plays. For a great selection of materials from the play, visit the Library of Congress' Federal Theater Project site, where you can view the script, designs, photos, and more.

April 14-June 20, 1936 (Lafayette Theater, Harlem)

July 6-September, 1936 (Adelphi Theater, New York; national tour follows)

Director/Adaptor: Orson Welles

Lighting: Abe Feder

Music: James P. Johnson, Porter Grainger, Joe Jordan. Orchestrated by Virgil Thomson

Settings/Costumes: Nat Carson

Principal Cast

Jack Carter: Macbeth

Maurice Ellis: Macduff

Canada Lee: Banquo

Marie Young: Lady Macbeth

Service Bell: Duncan

Wardell Saunders: Malcolm

Abdul: Witch Doctor

Wilhelmina Williams: First Witch

Josephine Williams: Second Witch

Frank David: Ross

Thomas Anderson: Lennox

Archie Savage: Siward

 

 

Costume Design for Malcolm