Upon This Blasted Heath - A One-Hour Macbeth

By the pricking of my thumbs…Something wicked this way comes, one night only at the golden hour!

Join Speculative Drama for the sixth annual one-hour adaptation of our internationally acclaimed 2020 production of Macbeth! This live, immersive, outdoor performance explores Shakespeare’s spookiest play from the perspective of Macbeth reliving the events leading up to his bloody and merciless reign, descent into madness, and death.

Featuring a series of vignettes following the connective thread - “what makes a man a monster,” this fever dream production is a 55 minute runaway train of hilarious and haunting witches, bloody battles, and macabre madness - the perfect way to spend your Halloween weekend!

Our audience is invited to meet at the oversized sidewalk chess set at the southeast corner of Director Park, and follow the Three Weird Sisters to a nearby outdoor arena. Trick or Treat bags are available before the show, because even adults deserve a little treat on Halloween.

Walk-up audiences are welcome throughout the show, and this production is entirely FREE - though donations and tips to our hard working cast and crew are encouraged.

Speculative Drama is a program under Misfit Academy, a performance oriented 501(c)3 and all donations and tips are 100% tax-deductible.

Please note: All actors are fully vaccinated and tested day-of, audience masks are heavily encouraged for the safety of the actors. Anyone wearing a mask will be treated to a special gift, thank you for helping us keep our community safe and healthy!

Director: Myrrh Larsen

Cast: Nik Hoback as Macbeth, Elizabeth Neal, Parker Matthews, Megan Skye Hale, Kate Belden, and Katie Mortemore

Speculative Drama Artistic Director: Megan Skye Hale, Creative and Technical Director: Myrrh Larsen

About Speculative Drama:

Speculative Drama aims to reclaim the relevance of myths, fairy tales, and classical texts through immersive, live theatrical performances. Our goal is to better reflect the diversity of the communities which we serve, and to show fellow people of marginalized identities that we, too, have a place in the classics. Through site-specific theatre, rich and immersive soundscapes, and an extremely intimate setting we explore the intersection of classic stories and unconventional storytelling - creating an atmosphere of inclusion and innovation while honoring and maintaining the original texts or source materials.

Praise for past Speculative Drama productions:

“This enthusiasm for serious reflection blended with joyful and innovative craft are hallmarks of Speculative Drama’s method and one that makes a winning combination.” — Linda Ferguson Oregon ArtsWatch https://www.orartswatch.org/dramawatch-let-the-season-begin-fall-shows-are-lighting-up-theaters/

“Having the play [Twelfth Night] unfold next to me, instead of on a stage, made it feel so much more real. For one, the actors were closer and easier to see. But even more: the cast did such a good job that, at moments, my brain truly forgot they weren't just fellow humans hanging out at the bar.” — Darryl Micaud, audience member.

“[Speculative Drama] consistently produces immersive shows that make you think about old stories in new ways; that's what makes them one of the most exciting and innovative theatre companies in the Pacific Northwest.” — Dr. Jess Hebert, audience member

“The contemporary vision of the classic ‘Scottish Play’ brings themes of loss, insanity, desire and the supernatural during our own precarious times.”

- Jason Vondersmith, Portland Tribune