“For old Shakespeare hands,” writes Steve Chawkins of the LA Times, “a production of ‘Macbeth’ without a calamity is like a Three Stooges film without a flung pie.”
There’s a long history of the notorious curse in action. Even celebrated actors Charles Heston and Lawrence Olivier were not immune. Heston suffered burns while on stage as the notorious villain, while Olivier almost had a 25lb piece of metal flatten him. Later, a fragment from Olivier’s sword struck an audience member and induced a fatal heart attack. Now, California Lutheran University is getting its share of toil and trouble.
“Since the cast’s first reading in early June, Macbeth was diagnosed and treated for a detached retina, a condition that ‘rendered him incapable of movement or raising his voice above a monotone for at least three weeks,’ according to director Michael Arndt. Macduff, who ultimately slays Macbeth, bowed out for a better job in Hollywood. And just last week, a minor character named Donalbain fell off a roof, breaking his feet. Arndt directed a Macbeth at Cal Lutheran 10 years ago that, aside from an actor’s twisted ankle, was as misfortune-free as a classic tragedy can be. Years before, though, he saw a Macbeth in Minnesota collapse and die onstage. ‘By comparison,’ he said, ‘we haven’t suffered much.’ All three roles have been recast, and the play is set to open Friday, as scheduled.
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