Macbeth, Act I (abridged)
Fair is foul, and foul is fair.
Four scenes from Act I of Shakespeare's Macbeth, abridged for a live reading: the witches, the prophecy on the heath, Lady Macbeth's letter, and the decision. Public-domain text. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are featured talent roles; witches and Banquo come from the queue.
Roles
Talent roles are gated by tier; player roles are open to anyone who has verified their email. Any role can be covered by an AI understudy if the producer's fill policy allows it.
- MacbethTalent · needs Featured+
You are Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, fresh from battle. You hear the prophecy, you write to your wife, and by the end of the act you have agreed to murder a king. Let the doubt show.
Understudy persona: Macbeth — a soldier thinking out loud; ambition fighting conscience in every line
- Lady MacbethTalent · needs Featured+
You read the letter and decide before he gets home. In the final scene you talk a hesitating man into murder. Be formidable.
Understudy persona: Lady Macbeth — controlled, fierce, persuasive; never raises her voice until she has to
- BanquoPlayer · open
You are Macbeth's friend and fellow general. You hear the same witches and trust them less. Steady, wry, watchful.
- WitchPlayer · open×3
You are one of three weird sisters. Speak in rhythm, overlap on the chorus lines, and enjoy being unsettling.
- NarratorAlways AI
Scenes
The running order. Each scene is a list of cues the host steps through.
- Scene 1 — A desert place10 cues
- Scene 3 — A heath22 cues
- Scene 5 — Inverness. A room in Macbeth's castle12 cues
- Scene 7 — The decision14 cues
- Curtain call3 cues
This format needs at least 2 humans in the cast. A producer cannot air it with fewer, whatever the fill policy.