Macbeth in Stride, an upcoming production at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, examines what it means to be an ambitious Black woman through the lens of one of Shakespeare’s most iconic characters.
The production, which dissects contemporary Black female power, femininity and desire, uses pop, rock, gospel and R&B to trace the fatalistic arc of Lady Macbeth, played by Obie Award-winner Whitney White.
“Macbeth In Stride is meant to welcome everybody into the theater," White told BK Reader. "It is performed in direct address with a cast mostly of Black people, because I want everyone to be welcomed in the theater. If all the world's a stage, then you should be able to sit at that stage and watch it."
White is paired with actor Charlie Thurston, with whom she recently completed a production of Liberation at the Roundabout Theatre, where White directed, and Thurston played a central role.
Now, the multitasking team will channel the Bard for Brooklyn audiences through a blend of genres and song.
“Macbeth, it's a pretty dark play. It's two people raging against the system… when we started these roles, I found a lot more joy in the play of it, in the absurd kind of rock and roll world,” said White.
The musical has been a passion project since 2015, and first started as a small solo piece for White and a few instruments.
“I'm blown away by her skill and power as performer and writer, and getting to be a part of the creation of a piece like that is always thrilling,” said Thurston, who has been along the ride with White since the production's debut in 2021. “Being able to help in tell a story that is not often told is exciting to me and feels really important and relevant and necessary right now.”
White stated that the choice to bring her production to BAM was intentional. She saw an opening in their schedule and jumped on the opportunity.
“BAM is everything to me,” said White. “So many memories of seeing movies at BAM, and they used to do the concert series upstairs in the bar.”
White and Thurston, both Brooklyn residents, say the borough fuels their creativity.
“I've bounced around various locations in Bushwick and Fort Green and Clinton Hill. I feel like I'm scratching the surface, Brooklyn is massive with all these different pockets of different cultures, and it's an incredible place,” said Thurston.
White, who has personally nicknamed the borough “Brooklyna” after a decade of residency, stated that the community has fortified her artistry.
“When you walk up Tompkins Avenue, there are these little signs that say, “What if we made a Black utopia?” Just passing that sign every day has an effect on my mental health and the kind of fertility in my mind. So I feel more emboldened to do Macbeth In Stride in Brooklyn,” she said.
Macbeth In Stride is the first in a series of musicals that White is hoping to unleash into the world.
“Each one is about an hour long. Each one looks at love and ambition through those characters and our perspectives as a white man and Black woman,” said White.
White, who got her directorial Broadway debut in 2023 with Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, said she hopes to eventually bring Macbeth In Stride to Broadway. “I hope we can keep telling the story as long as we can. I've had some pretty transformative experiences doing this role,” said White.
Macbeth In Stride will be performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music from April 15-27. For tickets, click here.
