Macbeth. Billie Andersson & Alfredo Diaz. Photo: Amy Goossens
June 13–23 at Lower Manhattan’s Castle Clinton National Monument at The Battery
Lower Manhattan’s Shakespeare Downtown presents free performances of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” co-directed by Geoffrey Horne and Alec Baldwin. The fully-realized production of this timeless tragedy of ambition and hubris plays inside the open-air walls of Castle Clinton from June 13-23, 2024 on Thursdays-Sundays at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are free and available at the door of Castle Clinton National Monument at the Battery at 5:45 p.m. on the day of the performance.
Set in 11th century Scotland, this captivating classic follows the journey of Macbeth, a valiant general whose thirst for power and unchecked ambition leads him down a path of witches, betrayal, murder, guilt, and consequence.
Says co-director Baldwin, “I’ve had the great fortune of being Geoffrey Horne’s student and friend since 1979. I have long admired Shakespeare Downtown’s work and look forward to working on this project with him.”
The company includes: *Billie Andersson, Ramiro Batista, *Craig Braun, Rickard Claeson, *Alfredo Diaz, Chase Erwin, Gjermund Gjesme, Monte Greene, Zack Ignoffo, Jade India Kelly, Sarah Anne Long, Evan Olson, Jazz-Ella Reveilleau, Richard-John Seikaly, Scarlett Strasberg, Alexander Thomas, Juan Pablo Toro, Chantal Van Zyl, Marco Villard, Bryce Washington.
William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 13
6:30 p.m. Friday, June 14
6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 15
6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 16
6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 20
6:30 p.m. Friday, June 21
6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 22
6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 23
Castle Clinton National Monument, The Battery (Battery Park) New York, NY 10004
Free tickets available the day of the performance at Castle Clinton starting at 5:45 p.m.
120 minutes, no intermission
Co-directed by Geoffrey Horne and Alec Baldwin
Set & Costume Design: Amy Goossens
Lighting Design: G. Scott Designs, Inc.
Sound Design: Carlos Ponce
Production Stage Manager: Emma McBride
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association / AEA approved showcase
“Macbeth” is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
BIOS
Shakespeare Downtown – Now in its eighth season, SD has a history of producing quality classical theatre that’s accessible to everyone including: “Romeo and Juliet” (2016), “Richard III” (2017), “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (2018), “Hamlet “(2019), “The Three Sisters “(2021), “Saint Joan” (2022), and “The Lady of the Camellias” (2023) – serving over 10,000 audience members.
Geoffrey Horne (Director) – Geoffrey Horne studied acting and directing with Lee Strasberg, and became a member of the Actors Studio, influenced by directors Elia Kazan and Arthur Penn. He was in the first Actors Studio production, Strange Interlude, with Geraldine Page and Jane Fonda. He also studied Shakespeare with John Barton. He worked with directors Harold Clurman, Jose Quintero, and John Houseman in the theatre, and Delbert Mann and Sidney Lumet in television. He appeared on television in “The Hitchcock Hour,” “The Outer Limits,” and “The Twilight Zone.” He was in “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” “Bonjour Tristesse,” and “The Tempest.” Horne worked with directors Michelangelo Antonioni, Otto Preminger, David Lean, James Bridges, Roger Vadim, and Mike Nichols as assistant to the director. He did many plays on and Off-Broadway, including Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along.” Horne studied at Stanford University and graduated from U.C. Berkeley. He is the co-founder of Shakespeare Downtown.
Alec Baldwin (Director) – Since 1980, Alec Baldwin has appeared in numerous productions on stage, in films and on television. He received a Tony nomination (“A Streetcar Named Desire,” 1992) an Oscar nomination (“The Cooler,” 2004) and has won three Emmy awards, three Golden Globes and seven consecutive Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on NBC-TV’s “30 Rock,” making him the actor with the most SAG Awards of all time. His films include “Miami Blues,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “Malice,” “The Edge,” “It’s Complicated,” “Blue Jasime,” “Still Alice,” “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation,” and “The Boss Baby” among many others. Baldwin earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1994 and has received honorary doctorates from NYU (2010) and the Manhattan School of Music (2012). He has served on numerous boards related to the arts, the environment and public policy including the Hamptons International Film Festival, Bay Street Theater, The Actors Studio, and the Roundabout Theatre Company. He currently serves on the board of People For the American Way and the New York Philharmonic. Baldwin has authored three books: “A Promise to Ourselves,” his memoir entitled “Nevertheless,” and, with Kurt Andersen, the Donald Trump parody, “You Can’t Spell America Without Me.” He is the host of a podcast, “Here’s the Thing,” for iHeartRadio. Baldwin is married to author and wellness expert Hilaria Thomas Baldwin. They have seven children: Carmen, Rafael, Leonardo, Romeo, Eduardo, Lucia, and Ilaria, as well as his eldest, Ireland Baldwin. Hilaria and Alec oversee The Hilaria and Alec Baldwin Foundation, which focuses on funding the arts.
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