Tonight’s the night! No Exit Theatre Collective presents MACBETH, directed by co-artistic director Ben Natan.
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William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, directed by Ben Natan, will be performed today, September 25 at 7 PM ET on the No Exit Theatre Collective Facebook page. All shows in our Fortnightly Reading Series are abridged to run less than 90 minutes, with a Q&A with the artists to follow.
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is directed by Ben Natan, founder and co-artistic director of No Exit.
The cast will feature Lorian Gish as Macbeth, Gwen Hornig as Lady Macbeth/Witch 1/Murderer 2, Daniel Cabrera as Banquo/Witch 2/Messenger/Menteith/Seyton, Cheryle Chong as Macduff/Witch 3/Murderer 1, Mary Kate Zavotsky as Duncan/Porter/Doctor, Tessa Ramírez-Keough as Lady Macduff/Hecate/Gentlewoman/Servant, Ryanne Salzano as Malcolm/Fleance/Lord/Lady Macduff’s son/Angus, Emma Schwartz as Ross/Lennox/Sergeant/Donalbain. RJ Christian, Swing.
Technical directed by Daisy Phillips. Script managed by Caity MacNeill.
Director’s note, by Ben Natan
Isolation, distance and alienation can have profound impacts on our social health. They also can dramatically and negatively hinder our ability to engage politically with the rest of the world. Politics and ideology are not something that can healthily grow in isolation. Rather they need cultivation and discipline through community and interaction. Breathing room.
American Theatre and theatre at large has always been a space for politics to breathe and political actors (double entendre thank you very much) to sharpen their ideology. In “Jewish Radicals,” Tony Michels talks about the radical, popular theatre of the 1930s being instrumental in laundering working class politics to the masses and creating popular support for the New Deal Regime.
In the process of rehearsing Macbeth, I’ve felt strongly about creating this breathing room. Engaging these undeniably political plays forces us to analyze our values as they relate to the plight of Shakespeare’s characters.
Once again, I’m grateful to be in a “room” with such compassionate and socially engaged artists. I’m grateful we have this virtual community space to blunt the effect of isolation and distance. I’m glad we can all breathe together.
Honoring the activist roots of theatre and our artists is at the core of No Exit Theatre Collective. We seek to affect change with our work. With each production we put on, the creative team selects a social justice organization to support. Our support comes from our virtual tip jar, which is on Venmo @NoExit-TC.
The director for each show selects an activist organization to support. This week, we’re supporting the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.
“FRRC is a grassroots, membership organization run by Returning Citizens (Formerly Convicted Persons) who are dedicated to ending the disenfranchisement and discrimination against people with convictions, and creating a more comprehensive and humane reentry system that will enhance successful reentry, reduce recidivism, and increase public safety.”
Ben Natan on why we’re selecting the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.
“The realization of democracy in America is not possible without mass voter participation. Suppression of the vote has been a feature in our country through gerrymandering, lack of polling availability and outright disenfranchisement through the criminal justice system. Millions of Americans cannot vote due to current or former incarcerated status.
This heinous violation of civic responsibility is so undemocratic, it is hard to believe it is still allowed. And yet, states like Florida are happy to keep millions of people off the rolls until they pay an unsubstantiated and random fine. The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition is a community fund to pay these poll taxes and enfranchise some of the most vulnerable people in the country. If we want a shot at true democracy and popular representation, we need to fight for the right of all Americans to have the power to vote.”
The rest of the tip jar will be split equally among contributing artists on the project. You can support our art by donating to our tip jar, @NoExit-TC on Venmo.
Lorian Gish is a New York City based actor best known for her work in "Revolutionary Road": Dir. Sam Mendes, "Snow": Indie Gathering Award winner - Best Feature Film, as well as multiple national commercial and voice-over spots. Past theater includes 'The Gingerbread House,' 'Enough' (Off-Broadway), and NETC’s 'Much Ado About Nothing.' Graduate of the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute and BFA Acting for Film, Television, Voice-over, & Commercials at Pace University. Her directing and short-form screenwriting work has been distributed by Crypt TV (2019). Her most recent short period thriller "The Howling Wind" is currently in the 2020 festival circuit. She has a deep passion for womxn-centered horror and dark fantasy. loriangish.com
Gwen Hornig is a Bay Area-based educator and theatre artist. Her most recent theatre credits include: Metamorphoses (Satyr/Inferno Theatre), Cassandra Project (Cassandra/Troupe Theatre), The Brides of Atreus (Clytemnestra/Washington Place Players), and The Crucible (Elizabeth Proctor/Theater at Gallatin). Gwen is so excited to join the No Exit Theatre Collective’s production of Macbeth, and thrilled by the opportunity to make theatre more accessible to all through this new virtual medium! Much love to my family, my students, and my dog Max.
This is Daniel Cabrera's fifth reading with No Exit. His previous roles with the company include Orsino (Twelfth Night), Old Man (Iphigenia in Aulis), Sergius (Arms and the Man) and Clitandre (The Misanthrope). For more info and his full resume check out danielcabreraactor.com.
cheryle (witch 3/macduff/murderer 1) is an ever-evolving, shapeshifting being who is delighted to be participating in NETC's virtual production of macbeth. they studied acting at nyu gallatin with members of FIASCO Theater under their neo-classical philosophy amongst a number of fantastic mentors/professors. they are interested in breath as a medium and through that acting as one of many expressions of healing and storytelling. they last performed as Eilert Lovborg in NETC’s production of Hedda Gabler. some nyc theatre credits include: Henry IV Parts I & II (Lady Percy), Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play (Jenny/Marge), Left of Aleppo (Nisrin/Angel 2), The Crucible (Ann Putnam/Danforth), Babel (Katia), The Heidi Chronicles (Fran/Molly/Betsy/April).
Mary Kate is a NYC based actor and a recent graduate from The Boston Conservatory. Her love for theatre began when she played the father duck in Honk! in fifth grade. She is no stranger to nonconventional casting. Since the great plague of 2020, she and her cat, Big Ang, are back in her New Jersey roots. She is very excited to be apart of Macbeth! This is going to be an amazing experience.
Tessa Ramírez-Keough is happy to be returning to NETC! Tessa is a performer, filmmaker, and activist. Through her studies of Visual Storytelling at NYU, she has discovered her love for beauty and style both on stage and on screen. Acting credits: Lady Catherine, "Arms and the Man;" Viola, "Twelfth Night;" Don Pedro/Conrade, "Much Ado About Nothing" (NETC); Toiba, "The Argentinian Prostitute Play" (BBTF); Vera, "It Came From Beyond" (Write Act Rep). SM credits: “Frankenstein,” “BFF,” “Wicked City Blues,” and “Geeks! The Musical” (Write Act Rep). She was also Company Manager for Little Lord’s “Skinnamarink” (NYT’s Critic’s Pick). When she’s not performing, she volunteers for the Sunrise Movement and Alumni for Change. She is thankful for her family, friends, Connor, and everyone that has brought her so much joy and so many opportunities. Black lives matter.
Ryanne Salzano is writer and editor who recently graduated from Eugene Lang College at The New School with a BA in Journalism + Design. She is the editorial director at No Exit. Her theatre experience includes the lead in Tottenville High School’s production of Twelve Angry Men, and a brief internship at Shakespeare in the Parking Lot. She is so happy to act again, and to expand her ongoing collaboration with Ben.
Emma Schwartz is a classically trained actress and director from London, UK. (Partial list) Theatre credits include: Nora in A Doll’s House, Hero in Much Ado About Nothing, Viola in Twelfth Night, Pam in Saved (Edward Bond), Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest, working with Stanley Dawson (RSC). TV and film credits include: Coronation Street, and Emmerdale for Yorkshire TV and ITV, England. Directing credits include: Oedipus Tyrannus, Restless Heart, at the Southside Theater, London, Defining Dawn for Radio Arts FM. Emma founded Momenti Productions in 2010, and directed short films Limbo and Z-Mumba in NY and NJ, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Emma is a drummer in the all-female band, Batala NY.
RJ Christian is a junior at NYU studying Musical Theatre Voice. He was last seen in No Exit’s reading of Iphigenia in Aulis as Agamemnon. He's also appeared in No Exit's readings of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Demetrius) and Hamlet (King Claudius/Ghost/Player). Some of his favorite roles have been Donkey (Shrek the Musical), Callahan (Legally Blonde), and Beast (Beauty and the Beast). RJ Christian has also served as Composer/Lyricist in five different productions including The Link, Mea Culpa, On a Wing and a Chair, Airlock: The Musical, and RedBeard.
Daisy Phillips is so excited to return to No Exit as Technical Director for "Macbeth"! She's a recent college grad and NYC-based Producer and Stage Manager. Off-Broadway: “The Argentinian Prostitute Play,” “OGYGIA,” “The Treatment.” College Stage Management highlights include: “Starlight Express!” “10 Out of 12,” and “A Very Pretty Word.” She is currently working as a Producing Associate at Honest Accomplice Theatre. Find her online at daisylphillips.com