Blog buzz on Macbeth

The Playgoer is keen on the cast, but not the play:

I have to admit to some eager anticipation over what's brewing at the Delacorte this summer for Shakespeare in the Park.

Liev Schreiber? Now, Jennifer Ehle?? Moises Kaufman directing??? Sign me up. Then again, though... it's Macbeth. Oh well.

Thumbs up from Rocco of What's good / what blows in NY theatre:

BUCKLE YOUR SEATBELTS
In light of all the RACHEL CORRIE drama surrounding the New York Theatre Workshop, I'd like to point out the more subtle political statements being made four blocks away at The Public Theatre. The Public usually does a fine job of mixing artistic integrity with commercial responsibility. But the coming months will bring a variety of productions that I'm excited about for several reasons.
...
MACBETH by William Shakespeare

politically: This play is about a man who kills the king.....in Scotland....a long long time ago.

artistically: Moises Kaufman's name attached as director, should be enough, but it only gets better from there. Liev Schreiber will be playing the title role, and brit, Jennifer Ehle (Tony winner for THE REAL THING) will be Lady Macbeth. This is gonna be HOT!

Finally, a post by a would-be auditionee for Macbeth. And here's the audition advert for Macbeth in Playbill. A bit too late unfortunately, they finished on Tuesday 28th.

Hold on, another casting advertisement which sheds some light on how they might interpret Macbeth.

Casting: Jordan Thaler/Heidi Griffiths. Runs: June 13-July 9. Please prepare one brief monologue from any by William Shakespeare OR any Modern Classic play (Chekov, Ibsen, Miller, Williams, etc.) The following roles are cast: Macbeth: (Cast) Liev Schreiber, Lady Macbeth: (Cast) Jennifer Ehle. Seeking - Duncan: 50s. The King of Scotland. The impotent successor to a line of warrior kings used to taking by force anything not theirs by right, he must rely on countless warlords to do his dirty work for him. His world is held together by violence and fear not nobility and valor. This role may double. MacDuff, Lennox and Ross: Mid 30s-40s. Scottish lords. Theirs is a world of action, not thought, where arguments are won and lost through physical confrontation, not negotiation. Martial to the point of physical brutality. They understand how to create a sense of civilization by killing and conquering, but are far from civilized themselves. Some of these roles may double. Malcolm, Donalbain: Late 20s-early 30s. Duncan's sons, princes groomed and educated to be the heirs to the throne. They embody a more dimensional future of rule - power combined with the conscience of thoughtful leadership. Men "whose blood and judgment are so well commeddled that they are not a pipe for Fortune's finger to sound what stop she please." They are not just "passion's slave." Banquo: 30s. A young warrior in his prime. He is the one person who seems genuinely capable of upsetting MacBeth's meteoric rise to power. He is stronger and sexier than the older lords he has grown up emulating. Snapping at their heels, he seems to possess all the qualities of a natural leader in this world: edge, sinew and physical power. This role may double. Three Witches: 20s-50s. Not the hook-nosed, wart-faced creatures of Christian mythology. Rather, they are the remnants of an older, less warlike society. They are vagabonds, refugees who have been dispossessed by the constant shifting boundaries and power in their world. Disenchanted scavengers, they have survived because they possess intelligence, tenacity and wit. These roles may double.

Interesting (surprising) take on the witches and Duncan. [edit: looks like this has been bumped from the page. Have a look at the cache]