Fearless Shakespeare Intensive

About the Show

A Scottish nobleman is set on a path of bloody ruin when three witches greet him as a future king. Spurred on by his fiercely ambitious wife, Macbeth murders the sleeping King Duncan and seizes the crown for himself. But the throne offers no peace. As guilt corrodes his conscience and paranoia consumes the queen, the prophecies that once seemed a gift twist into a death sentence. In Shakespeare’s shortest and most haunting tragedy, ambition, superstition, and conscience collide in a story that has gripped audiences for over four centuries. Students spend four immersive weeks breaking down the relentless verse of one of Shakespeare’s most performed masterworks. Rehearsals will focus on mastering the muscular language of the play, exploring character, and building a tight ensemble company, culminating in a full public production at Rubicon Theatre. Whether it’s your first time tackling Shakespeare or your fifth summer back, this program will challenge everything you think you know about navigating a text and will help you conquer your possible intimidation of classical works.

For questions, or to receive a return call from our Education Staff, please email [email protected].

Characters and descriptions:

• Macbeth (Scottish General, then King of Scotland): A celebrated soldier whose ambition, ignited by a witches’ prophecy and stoked by his wife, drives him to regicide, tyranny, and madness.
• Lady Macbeth: Macbeth’s wife and the play’s other engine of ruin. More ruthless than her husband at the outset, she goads him into murder, then unravels under the crushing weight of her own guilt.
• Duncan (King of Scotland): The aging, generous king whose murder by Macbeth sets the entire tragedy in motion.
• Malcolm (Prince of Scotland): Duncan’s eldest son and rightful heir, who flees to England after his father’s death and returns at the head of an avenging army.
• Donalbain (Prince of Scotland): Duncan’s younger son, who escapes to Ireland to save his life.
• Banquo (Scottish General): Macbeth’s friend and fellow soldier. The witches promise that his descendants will be kings, which makes him Macbeth’s next target.
• Fleance (Banquo’s son): A young boy who narrowly escapes the assassins his father does not.
• Macduff (Thane of Fife): A loyal Scottish nobleman who suspects Macbeth from the start and ultimately becomes the instrument of his downfall.
• Lady Macduff: Macduff’s spirited wife, murdered along with her children by Macbeth’s hired killers.
• The Three Witches (Weird Sisters): Supernatural figures whose riddling prophecies set the tragedy in motion and seal Macbeth’s fate.
• Hecate: Goddess of witchcraft who oversees the work of the Weird Sisters.
• Ross: A Scottish nobleman who serves as messenger and witness throughout, bearing some of the play’s most devastating news.
• Lennox: A Scottish lord whose loyalty quietly shifts as Macbeth’s tyranny grows.
• The Porter: The drunken gatekeeper of Macbeth’s castle, providing dark comic relief in the wake of Duncan’s murder.
• The Doctor & Gentlewoman: Witnesses to Lady Macbeth’s famous sleepwalking scene.
• Siward & Young Siward: English commanders who join Malcolm’s invasion. Young Siward falls in single combat with Macbeth.
• The Murderers: Hired assassins dispatched against Banquo and the Macduff family.
• Additional speaking roles, soldiers, lords, attendants, and members of court.

About the Program

A four-week theatre intensive designed to demystify Shakespeare for young actors. Under the direction of award-winning actor and Yale Drama MFA graduate Joseph Fuqua, students are immersed in the language and culture of “The Bard” while rehearsing and performing one of his masterpieces. During the four weeks and with the assistance of Co-Director, Verse Coach, and Dramaturg Louis Lotorto, students develop a new appreciation for literature, learning about script analysis, scansion and verse, dialect and vocal production. During this four-week journey, students build confidence and learn to trust in the power of their own voice.

PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS INCLUDE

2025 – Romeo & Juliet

2024 – Richard III

2023 – Henry V

2022 – As You Like It

2021 – A Midsummer Night’s Dream