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Shakespeare & Beyond

Teller on his magical 'Macbeth' at Folger Theatre

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth with the bloody daggers
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth with the bloody daggers
Macbeth with a dagger

Ian Merrill Peakes (Macbeth), Macbeth, conceived and directed by Teller and Aaron Posner, Folger Theatre in a co-production with Two River Theater Company, 2008. Carol Pratt.

“Our premise is that Macbeth is Shakespeare’s supernatural horror thriller, and should be done as violently and amazingly as a modern supernatural horror movie,” wrote magician Teller (of Penn & Teller) about the memorable 2008 production of Macbeth at Folger Theatre that he and Helen Hayes Award-winning director Aaron Posner co-conceived and directed.

The production with Two River Theater Company was so popular that it was recorded and released soon after as a DVD in a special Folger Edition of Macbeth, accompanied by eight special features developed with feedback from teachers.

The Folger announced today that the full recorded performance and the special features are now available to stream online for free through July 1, 2020, in support of learning and enjoyment during the COVID-19 crisis.

Get an inside look into the creative thinking behind the production with the following excerpts from a series of entries on Teller’s blog in 2007 leading up to the stage performances. These excerpts were republished in the Spring 2008 issue of Folger Magazine.

Comments

This is the most exciting and powerful production of the Scottish Play that I have ever seen (over the last 68 years).
I loved how the Weird Sisters were conceived and played. I loved the powerful sleepwalking scene. I loved all the magic. Most of all, I loved getting inside Macbeth’s mind trying to figure what “is” and what “is not”.
Thank you for sharing this, free of charge and available in my own living room during this time of the coronavirus pandemic. Good theater is rare these days but Shakespeare is still the best of the best

the Rev Dr Faith Grover Scott — April 1, 2020

[…] Folger Theatre/Two River Theater Blood Will Have Blood special feature from Macbeth by William Shakespeare Co-conceived and co-directed by Teller and Aaron Posner, 2008 Read Teller’s notes from this production […]

ENCORES: ‘Blood Will Have Blood’ from ‘Macbeth’ produced by Folger Theatre and Two River Theater (2008) - The Folger Spotlight — April 28, 2021