Taking a Chance with the "Scottish Play"

Douglas McConnell
Jul 19, 2020
2 min read

My association with the Heidelberg Department of Theatre and Director Karla Kash continues in the fall of 2025. This time, I am providing incidental music and sound design for a production of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare. Show dates have been scheduled for November 13-16, 2025, at Gundlach Theater, on the Heidelberg University campus.

This is my second opportunity to work with a work by one of our greatest playwrights; two years ago, I provided special music for a production of Measure for Measure, also directed by Karla Kash. This time, I am contending with one of the great Shakespearian tragedies.

Very loosely based on historic events that can be traced to 16^th century Scotland, Ireland and England, the story follows the downfall of Macbeth, a man who falls too easily to the temptations of power and pays for it dearly. Like many Shakespearean directors, Karla has decided to set her production in another time and place. In this case, we are going to work with the Prohibition era of the 1920s.

Macbeth is a very dark play. The music of the Prohibition era is the exact opposite. My challenge will be to capture some of this flavor while also respecting the intentions of the original story. The fact that the actors will be portrayed as gangsters as opposed to Scottish lords should help. I am working on a score that has many driving moments but also presents other-worldly experiences. Having three witches (Weird Sisters) will help with this! Karla intends to make them quite prominent in her production; I will do the same with the music.

And as to all the superstitions that surround saying the play’s title in the theater to avoid possible injury and death……you can decide for yourself. If you are worried, just call the thing the “Scottish play.”

More news on this production later this fall, as things fall into place…