Middle School Boys Present "Macbeth"

The annual Middle School Shakespeare production brought “Macbeth” to the stage on November 16 and 17 under the direction of Head Librarian Sarah Murphy. As always, the cast – including girls from The Brearley School – impressed the audience with their acting skills and interpretation of the Bard’s language.

In her director’s notes, which appeared in the program, Ms. Murphy said, “ ‘Macbeth’ is perhaps best known for its blood. From Lady Macbeth’s hands to Banquo’s throat, blood will have blood, and it’s shed all over Scotland. But leading up to our performances, I’ve been thinking less about the wounds and more about the healing. As the characters grieve for the Scotland they once knew (‘Alas, poor country! / Almost afraid to know itself. It cannot /Be called our mother but our grave’), their actions are guided not by fear, but by courage and determination. Upon hearing of griefs too terrible to believe, Malcolm, the rightful heir to the throne, tells Macduff, ‘Let grief / Convert to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it.’ An enraged heart can be a dangerous thing, but at least in this case, it can also save the world.”

She added, “It has been an honor to spend the last few months working with the student members of the cast, crew and band, as well as my colleagues and professional visiting artists. We have tried to tell a story, to make some art, and to honor the tradition of Shakespeare in performance."

The performances were made possible, in part, by The Class of 2012 Endowed Fund for the Performing Arts.