Opening the 2018 Bard on the Beach season is Shakespeare’s dark, psychological inquiry: “Macbeth”. A tale of the corrupting potential of power, and its inevitable, ruinous effects. For those who are a little rusty on the plot- after a prophecy is foretold by three witches, Macbeth (a Scottish nobleman and war hero) becomes obsessed with stealing and keeping the throne of Scotland. Egged on by his wife and accomplice Lady Macbeth, he becomes embroiled in increasingly desperate acts of murder, betrayal and lies. Further soothsaying tricks him into believing that he will be triumphant, but ultimately the Macbeths meet their end, plagued by guilt and despair.
This year’s rendition of “Macbeth” at the Bard promises to be stripped down and raw. We caught up with Moya O’Connell, who plays Lady Macbeth to find out about preparations for the show and give us a little taste of what we can expect.
What can audiences expect from this year’s “Macbeth” at the Bard?
In a word: Fear.
Our production is stripped down. We are performing the play on a bare wooden stage in period Elizabethan costumes and minimal lighting. The music of the play will all be performed live by the acting ensemble. The idea is to create an experience much like the one Shakespeare’s audience might have witnessed. By focusing entirely on this terrifying story and letting the words and poetry sing through, we are hooking in to the most primal and exciting aspects of storytelling in the theatre- the actors’ ability to take an audience on a journey. This particular journey happens to be about murder and fate and madness and bloodshed and witchcraft and ambition and marriage and loss.
Could you describe the production process?
We began rehearsing fully in mid-April. We work in “rep” at Bard, which means every actor is in two plays and we rehearse on alternating days. Before the rehearsals begin Bard offers an ‘intensive’ where the company is paid to come and work on Shakespearean text and movement and voice to get our bodies and minds ready for the artistic challenges that lie ahead in the season. It is also a way for the company to bond and form artistic connections with each other, which is very important when working in the theatre. It is a collaborative art form. You have to be open to the minds and artistic impulses of many people. It is one of the challenges but also what makes the theatre magical.
What’s your process for disseminating Shakespearean language and translating meaning to the audience?
When I approach a text I just read it over and over. I try to follow all the wonderful gifts the punctuation and meter gives the actor but not be restrained by it. The language of “Macbeth” is muscular, poetic and thrilling. I am just trying to let that sing while creating a fully formed creature at the core. I do not have a method except to mine any avenue that I think will get the audience and me somewhere thrilling.
The play “Macbeth” famously bestows bad luck on those involved in its productions unless strict superstitious rituals are adhered to. Are the cast and crew particularly superstitious about this one?
Theatre actors are notoriously superstitious and I definitely fly that flag. I will tell you that I have a sort of shrine on my dressing room table of talismans to keep me “safe” during this show. It is a dark piece of art and as I move towards inhabiting the world of the play and the darkness of Lady Macbeth I felt I needed certain things to keep me safe from its depths. I also take a fair amount of time after the play to really be free of the play. The last thing you want is for lady Macbeth to show up at home. Having played some fairly intense characters in my career and being a Mum, I am very diligent and serious about the separation between my artistic life and my home life.
Have you played Lady Macbeth before and how have you approached character development this time?
I have never played Lady Macbeth before. I have been in the play twice before as a witch and as Lady MacDuff so I am very familiar with it.
Because the play is so popular and because the role is so iconic I was very wary about having a definitive “take” on it. My instinct was that the best way to approach the play was to remain as open as possible to Ben Carlson (who plays Macbeth) and Chris Abraham (director), and play to the natural and honest chemistry in the room.
What’s your interpretation of Lady Macbeth’s character and eventual unraveling?
She is a woman who has been shaped by a deep heartbreak and wound. It has left her isolated and her personal chaos is barely at bay. The prophecy brings her to life and she seizes on the alignment of fate with speed and pure ferocious will. It gives her new life and hope. The murder excites her to action but after it is committed she finds that the power she sought for herself and her husband is bereft of satisfaction and it begins to haunt her and break her apart. Chaos and her own private hell press in on her and makes living excruciating. It is a difficult, dark, horrifying descent for her.
That said; I don’t know that I am the best person to tell you what my Lady Macbeth will be like. What I think she is and what the audience thinks she is might be quite different. I will say that she is:
Impulsive. Ferocious. Feminine.
What makes Bard on the Beach special compared to other productions?
Bard is one of the most unique experiences for an actor in Canada. I have been acting in Ontario for the past 11 years but before that I was at Bard for six seasons and had some of the best times of my life there. You are performing big Shakespearean plays in a park with the ocean and mountains as a backdrop. The audience can drink wine and eat popcorn. The tickets are incredibly reasonable which makes it accessible to so many more people than usual and the core company of actors has been at Bard for decades, which means the quality of acting is very high. It’s a model of a successful, joyous theatre company. I am thrilled to be back.
Macbeth opens at Bard on the Beach on June 6th. Get your tickets here!
– MG