Macbeth

Shakespeare's shortest tragedy, but one of his best, was first done in Philadelphia in 1759 with the younger Lewis Hallam in the title role. Subsequently the play has enlisted almost every great American and visiting tragedian but has rarely been a major commercial success for any of them and has come to be considered something of an actor's jinx. (As in England, American actors are superstitious about even mentioning the title of “the Scottish play” when in a theatre.) Notable early Macbeths have ranged from the formal Thomas Abthorpe Cooper to the gruff Edwin Forrest to the poetic Edwin Booth. Outstanding Lady Macbeths have included Charlotte Cushman, Fanny Janauschek, and Emma Waller. Among the more successful 20th‐century revivals were the 1941 offering starring Maurice Evans and Judith Anderson and a 1988 mounting with Christopher Plummer and Glenda Jackson. The work remains a favorite with collegiate and festival groups.