“Macbeth” playing at the Longacre Theatre through July 10, has an initiative program happening that has made it possible for 4,000 high school and college students from underrepresented communities to experience this delightful, creative work. The ticket initiative occurred due to a collaboration with the show in partnership with Omega Baccarat, The Capri Foundation for the Advancement of Diversity in Fashion, American Express, The John Gore Foundation and The Caiola Foundation. Macbeth 2022 is partnering with The Opportunity Network, Fund II Foundation, NYC Department of Education, the City University of New York including CUNY K16 Initiatives and Medgar Evers College, NPower, International House, UNCF (United Negro College Fund), PowHERful Foundation, Ron Brown Scholars, and the Fashion Institute of Technology. The initiative will also be partnering with TDF to offer further accessibility to people with hearing and vision loss. In addition to providing fully subsidized tickets, the program will also provide additional engagement opportunities and interactive content to complement their experience at the theater. Select resources will also be made available to students beyond those in attendance through the program. Director Sam Gold has created a powerful, unique theatrical telling of this classic William Shakespeare work.
The students are having the opportunity to experience the incredible talents of a very gifted cast as they tell this tale of ambition, marriage and murder. A cast that is led by Daniel Craig as Macbeth and Ruth Negga as the ruthless Lady Macbeth and also includes Phillip James Brannon as Ross, Grantham Coleman as MacDuff, Asia Kate Dillon as Malcolm, Maria Dizzia as Lady Macduff, Amber Gray as Banquo, Emeka Guindo as Fleance, Paul Lazar as Duncan, Bobbi MacKenzie as Macduff’s Child, Michael Patrick Thornton as Lennox, and Danny Wolohan as Seyton. The ensemble is completed by Che Ayende and Eboni Flowers.
Regarding the ticket initiative, the stars were glad to share their thoughts. Negga said, “I attended theater at a young age and it nurtured in me the idea of possibility. It’s a duty and it’s a responsibility because this can be the genesis of dreams. That’s a very important thing, to see yourself reflected on stage and feel seen if you don’t in your everyday life. Wonderful things can happen here.” And she added, “Shakespeare’s words can be accessible to all—it’s not something that should be revered in a way that is distancing.”
Craig shared, “The ticket initiative was something we talked about from the very beginning. It’s not cheap to see a Broadway show and although I fully understand it’s a profit-driven industry, excluding a large part of the population because of prohibitively high-ticket prices seems crazy and elitist. It needs a new audience to protect the future. This feels, to me, very important and in my opinion, Broadway should push for this as much as possible.”
For more information visit: www.macbethbroadway.com/macbeth2022