Unsex Me: The Ag’s Gender-Bent “Macbeth”

“As a female actor, I really like playing kings and warriors—Macbeth would be a dream role for me—and I’ve never had directors let me read for any of these roles. And I thought, why not?” Such acting experience guided Kier W. Zimmerman ’19, an inactive Crimson news editor, to direct a gender-blind production of “Macbeth,” running Oct. 13 to 16 in the Agassiz Theater under the aegis of the Hyperion Shakespeare Company.

Macbeth, in his political and psychological quest for power, thus not only faces a series of moral dilemmas following the witches’ prophecy that he is to become the next King of Scotland; he, along with the audience, will face questions about the role of gender in each plot point. With Malcolm and Banquo cast as women, the audience now must contemplate seemingly simple plot points. “Why does Banquo get passed up for the promotion?” Zimmerman says. “Is it a gender thing?”

“I operate under the assumption that with these roles [being cast gender-blind], they dig much deeper into humanity,” she says. “It matters more that a human is playing a role more than whether a man or a woman is playing it.” The characters’ gender pronouns remain unchanged, and the actresses playing Banquo and Malcolm do not cross-dress.

Ezra Feldman, a Ph.D. student in English who will play Duncan, concurs that the unconventional casting raises some of the stakes. “It puts on a lot of pressure of what it means to be a man,” he says.

But even with this unique approach to direction, this “Macbeth” will try to speak for itself: Rather than the flashiness that often comes with contemporary productions of Shakespeare, simplicity, accessibility, and clarity are key in this minimalist production.

“I don't believe that Shakespeare needs to be set in the 1970s or in the 1770s. I think his stories ring true no matter the time or the place. So what we’re doing with this play is very minimalist, without many nods to where we are and when,” Zimmerman says.

That is not to say that this production will not surprise or diverge from tradition: With an actor who breaks the fourth wall with humor, a focus on choreography and movement, and a twist on the role of the infamous witches, it will not be the typical classical theater experience.

Still, the thrust of the production is clear, according to Lindsay McAuliffe ’20, who is playing Lady MacBeth. “Kier’s really underscoring that gender does not determine the success of a character,” she says.