Production of Macbeth adapted and directed by Orson Welles
Macbeth
Poster by Anthony Velonis
Written by
William Shakespeare (play)
Orson Welles (adaptation)
Date premiered
April 14, 1936
Place premiered
Lafayette Theatre, Harlem, New York
Original language
English
Genre
Tragedy
The closing four minutes of the production are preserved in the 1937 film, We Work Again.
The Voodoo Macbeth is a common nickname for the Federal Theatre Project's 1936 New York production of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Orson Welles adapted and directed the production, moved the play's setting from Scotland to a fictional Caribbean island, recruited an entirely Black cast, and earned the nickname for his production from the Haitian vodou that fulfilled the role of Scottish witchcraft.[1]: 86 A box office sensation, the production is regarded as a landmark theatrical event for several reasons: its innovative interpretation of the play, its success in promoting African-American theatre, and its role in securing the reputation of its 20-year-old director.
^Kliman, Bernice W. (1992). Macbeth. Manchester: Manchester University Press. ISBN 0719027314.
The VoodooMacbeth is a common nickname for the Federal Theatre Project's 1936 New York production of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Orson Welles adapted...
rendition of the weird sisters as voodoo priestesses. The name "weird sisters" is found in most modern editions of Macbeth. However, the First Folio's text...
of the original into a male Voodoo priest, complete with cloak and a 12-foot long bull whip. This staging of VoodooMacbeth won both popular and critical...
Works Progress Administration. Her portrayal of Lady Macbeth in Orson Welles' all-Black "Voodoo" Macbeth in 1936 was much acclaimed. She was an influential...
Macbeth (/məkˈbɛθ/, full title The Tragedie of Macbeth) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises...
William Shakespeare's Macbeth with an entirely African-American cast, numbered 150. The production became known as the VoodooMacbeth because Welles changed...
viewing and download at the Internet Archive Preserved Films: Footage of Orson Welles's "Voodoo" Macbeth (1937) — National Film Preservation Foundation...
Orson Welles Show (1979) Theatre Marching Song (1932) Bright Lucifer VoodooMacbeth (1936) Horse Eats Hat (1936) The Cradle Will Rock (1937) Caesar (1937–1938)...
most popular production was the third, which came to be called the VoodooMacbeth (1936), director Orson Welles's adaptation of Shakespeare's play set...
and assigned him to direct Macbeth for the FTP's Negro Theater Unit, a production that became known as the "VoodooMacbeth", as it was set in the Haitian...
Orson Welles Show (1979) Theatre Marching Song (1932) Bright Lucifer VoodooMacbeth (1936) Horse Eats Hat (1936) The Cradle Will Rock (1937) Caesar (1937–1938)...
Orson Welles Show (1979) Theatre Marching Song (1932) Bright Lucifer VoodooMacbeth (1936) Horse Eats Hat (1936) The Cradle Will Rock (1937) Caesar (1937–1938)...
the Boston Blackie films. In 1936, when Orson Welles was touring his VoodooMacbeth; the lead actor, Maurice Ellis, fell ill, so Welles stepped into the...
It was Welles's second WPA production, after his highly successful VoodooMacbeth. The script, by Edwin Denby and Welles, was an adaptation of the classic...
Orson Welles Show (1979) Theatre Marching Song (1932) Bright Lucifer VoodooMacbeth (1936) Horse Eats Hat (1936) The Cradle Will Rock (1937) Caesar (1937–1938)...
Executive Order 7034 Footage of the Federal Theatre Project's 1936 "VoodooMacbeth" – with informative annotations. The Great Depression in Washington...
Maze, Jirga, The Hippopotamus, and Goldstone. Other films include VoodooMacbeth, a-ha: The Movie, 16 Bars and The Etruscan Smile. Lightyear's original...
adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth with an entirely African-American cast. It became known as the VoodooMacbeth because Welles changed the setting...
Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020. "Macbeth". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Archived from...
titled VoodooMacbeth, produced by the USC School of Cinematic Arts and chronicling the creation of the New York Negro Unit 1936 production of Macbeth co-directed...
Atkinson travelled extensively to see productions such as the Harlem "VoodooMacbeth," directed by the 21-year-old Orson Welles; the collaborative historical...
Unit in New York City. He and Asadata Dafora choreographed Welles's VoodooMacbeth, and Yates was in the cast of his Doctor Faustus. Clarence Yates (foreground)...
seated The "Voodoo" Macbeth with an all-black cast, set on a mythical Caribbean island modeled upon 19th-century Haiti Cast: Jack Carter (Macbeth), Edna Thomas...
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