Macbeth
by William Shakespeare
Directed & Edited by Gina Stanton
Auditions:
Sunday, December 6, 2026 - 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday, December 8, 2026 - 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Thursday, December 10, 2026 - 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Appointments recommended, walk-ins accepted.
Email phoenixtheatreartsco@gmail.com with any questions!
Rehearsals:
Beginning January 2027
Sundays 2 -5, Tuesdays 6:30-9:30, Thursdays 6:30-9:30
Not all cast will be called to all rehearsals.
Performances:
Friday, April 23, 2027 - 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 24, 2027 - 1:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Sunday, April 25, 2027 - 1:00 PM
Friday, April 30, 2027 - 7:30 PM
Saturday, May 1, 2027 - 1:00 PM
All auditions, rehearsals, and performances will take place at KatonahSPACE, 44 Edgemont Road, Katonah, NY.
Audition Expectations:
Please prepare a dramatic Shakespearean monologue, between 1- 2 minutes. Memorization is preferred.
-
You may choose from one of the monologues provided here or use any other dramatic Shakespearean monologue.
-
If you choose a monologue from the provided document, feel free to shorten it as you would like - we recognize that some of them are lengthy!
-
Pick a monologue that is interesting to you - even if you aren’t interested in that particular character.
You may be asked to read additional monologues or sides at the audition.
-
The sides and monologues are available in this document if you want to review them in advance.
A Southern accent is preferred but not required for the audition. Our production is set in Appalachia; Southern accents will be used for performances.
Videos will be accepted through Thursday, December 10 at 7 PM. (It is recommended that you send a video sooner if possible, in case we request an additional video of you performing one of the sides. Alternately, you can send a video with your monologue plus any sides or other monologues that you are interested in!)
*If you need help with understanding the text, No Fear Shakespeare is a great option (available at many public libraries and bookstores). LitCharts.com is also a good option!
Casting:
All roles are open to all ages, races, gender identities*, presentations, abilities, and experience levels (no experience necessary)! We are committed to casting the best person for the role, even if the role is written or traditionally cast differently.
*If an actor is cast in a role that is written for a different gender identity, the character may be gender-swapped or may remain as written, depending on the role.
Some roles may double (one actor may play multiple roles).
Summary:
The Tragedy of Macbeth mixes witchcraft, prophecy, and murder.
Three witches prophesy that a general, Macbeth, will become King, and that the descendants of Banquo, his fellow general, will also reign. In hopes of helping the prophecy along, Macbeth and his wife plot to assassinate King Duncan. Upon his untimely death, Duncan’s two sons flee while Macbeth is crowned. Macbeth has Banquo killed, hoping to subvert the prophecy. Macbeth's guilt and paranoia begins to descend into madness, and he is haunted by Banquo’s ghost.
Macbeth quickly becomes a violent and feared tyrant, and blood soaks the land as the people begin to rise up.
Director's Vision:
Our production of Macbeth will lean into Southern Gothic horror. It takes place in the Appalachian mountains, somewhat outside of time, where rusted tools, overgrown forests, moonshine jars, flickering lanterns, and ghostly mountain fog paint a picture of a land that does not suffer the weak or foolish. The weird sisters are the living embodiment of the witch's archetypes: maiden, mother, and crone, while acting in their daily lives as folk healers. There is poverty, grit, hard-work, and determination evident in every corner of this world - from Lady Macbeth, to Banquo, to Macduff, Fleance, Siward, the Porter - even King Duncan himself. Violence and ambition are matched only by the terror-inspiring folklore and superstitions of the area. There is both strength and horror in the land - and in the people.
In a world trying to move on from the old ways, destiny still rules, and fate is as real as the dirt beneath your feet. Power often grows where fear takes root. But here and now, men no longer fear and respect the old gods and traditions. Instead they both revere and fear one another, often in equal measure, opening the door for devils to walk among us - even if those devils are men.
There is sin and salvation, and there may well be a haunting in the holler. Whether the lore and legends are real and true or if they are simply fictional, sensationalized accounts from paranoid minds - does it matter? Because no man can escape his sins in the hills. There is a cost in breaking the circle and departing from the natural order, and the land will take its due.
The earth remembers every drop of blood.