"Double, double, toil and trouble; fire, burn; and caldron, bubble." (from Shakespeare's Macbeth; Act 4, Scene I)

Ask any actor, director, and anyone else who works in the theatre; they all know about the Macbeth superstition. According to this theatrical superstition, saying the name "Macbeth" brings bad luck. The play is filled with images of evil and the supernatural. For this reason, this tragedy is often called "the Scottish play" by actors.

Actor Michael Stuhlbarg shared one of Shakespeare's famous speeches from Macbeth. Even though the monologue was spoken out of the context of the play and in filmed in a rehearsal space, Shakespeare's language still speaks volumes about the human condition and experience. Most of Macbeth is written in blank verse, which is supposed to sound like everyday speech. Of course, people in Shakespeare's time spoke differently than we do today.

We were able to witness an actor focusing on the words of his text. Working with Michael Stuhlbarg reminded me of the hard work and fun that goes into rehearsing a play. Working on Shakepeare is like going on a treasure hunt. An actor uses the words and punctuation on the page like clues on a map. The great treasure that the actor finds, if all of the clues are found and used, is the truth of the character and the adventure of the play. While Michael acted, we followed along by looking at the text. I like reading a play before seeing it. The annotations help clarify what is going on in the play.

I really enjoyed watching Michael find some of the clues on his treasure hunt through Macbeth.

"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow" (from Macbeth)

For Extra Credit:
Learn about Elizabethan playwrights Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher.

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