The film Voodoo Macbeth, which chronicles Orson Welles’ 1936 stage production in Harlem, will have its premiere at the Pan African Film Festival.
PAFF, considered to be the largest Black film festival, runs February 28 through March 14 in Los Angeles. It is virtual this year and details how to watch Voodoo Macbeth from home can be found at paff.org/plans.
Jewell Wilson Bridges stars as Welles with Inger Tudor as Rose McClendon, the Broadway actress who supervised the Negro Theatre Unit of the Federal Theatre Project. June Schreiner co-stars as Virginia Nicolson Welles.
The USC School of Cinematic Arts film was sponsored by Warner Brothers. A two-minute trailer and more than three minutes of additional footage from Voodoo Macbeth have been posted to Vimeo (see below).
The movie recalls how a 20-year-old Welles adapted and directed a Federal Theatre Project of Macbeth. He moved the Shakespearean play’s setting from Scotland to a Caribbean island. Before the play opened, Welles was criticized by those who feared he was creating a demeaning, burlesque production and not hiring enough Black crew. After its opening, he was hailed for championing African-American theater.
The film credits 10 directors and eight writers. John Watson, who holds the Broccoli Endowed Chair for Producing at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, was project supervisor for the film. He has not only produced 12 feature films, including Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Backdraft and Blown Away, but served as executive producer of more than 300 hours of television.
Full cast and crew credits, as well as production photos, can be found online at voodoomacbethfilm.com
From its 27-page pitch, “Voodoo Macbeth depicts the bizarre events and extraordinary characters behind the making of this theatrical sensation. The ambitious young directing genius struggles to control the inexperienced cast, fights off personal demons, battles through a troubled marriage, and fends off the attempts of a ruthless Congressman determined to shut down this ‘subversive’ production.”
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