Literature Live! Returns To Bay Street With ‘Macbeth’

Bay Street Theater’s Literature Live! program is returning with the staged virtual premiere of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” on Tuesday, November 9, at 8 p.m., followed by a talkback between the show’s creators and actors.

Set in 1963 Scotland, the Literature Live! adaptation of the play introduces a modern retelling of the seminal tragedy with no alterations to the original compelling text. One part “Macbeth” and one part “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,” this Literature Live! staging replaces the lofty setting of Castle Inverness for a chilling and sterile sanitorium, within the confines of which the play’s dramatic scenes unfold. Prior to the premiere, “Macbeth” will be filmed live on stage at Bay Street Theater and edited as a theatrical production, and will be available to schools and the public via on-demand live streaming starting Monday, November 8, through Sunday, December 5.

Directed by Allen O’Reilly, Bay Street’s director of education and community outreach, this adaptation of “Macbeth” features seven actors who play a total of 24 roles, including many who have appeared in past Literature Live! stagings. The cast includes: Matthew Henerson (Macbeth); Erin Margaret Pettigrew (Lady Macbeth); Genevieve Simon (Malcolm); Joe Pallister (Macduff); Allen O’Reilly (King Duncan); Teresa DeBerry (Ross and Witch); and Gabe Portuondo (Banquo).

“Macbeth is a piece that I have worked on numerous times as both an actor and director,” O’Reilly said. “Yet every time I revisit this play I find nuance and depth that gives the words a fresh feel. I am thrilled to take my next journey with Shakespeare’s masterpiece alongside the extremely talented artists here at Bay Street.”

Now in its 13th year, Literature Live! is a BOCES-approved arts-in-education program designed specifically with middle and high school age students, their teachers, and administrators in mind. Plays are chosen from standards-based literature and are supported with teacher-developed lesson plans and reference materials. All performances are approximately 90 minutes in length, and provided free of charge to any school group, their teachers, and administrators. With over 30,000 students and nearly 60 schools participating, Literature Live! remains a cornerstone of Bay Street’s Educational outreach programming.

Tickets for the public are $20 and available by calling 631-725-9500 or at baystreet.org. Group presentations are free for schools and teachers. School groups can sign up by emailing Allen O’Reilly, at allen@baystreet.org. Bay Street Theater is on Long Wharf in Sag Harbor.