On Wednesday, October 8, about 100 Class III students traveled to the Mosesian Center for the Arts to see a contemporary production of Macbeth. The trip, organized by the English Department, produced a mixture of enthusiasm, curiosity, and confusion.
English Department Class III Course Group Head Eric Idsvoog, who coordinated the outing, said it fits into a larger effort to use Boston’s cultural resources to support classroom learning. “We learned that there was a production of Macbeth pretty close by, and most sophomore classes every year read Macbeth at some point,” he explained. English teachers could choose whether to participate.
Idsvoog noted that seeing a play even before reading it can be valuable, explaining that Shakespeare’s original audiences experienced the plays live, without a text in hand, so he considers the outing “an ideal first exposure to Shakespeare.”
The production itself leaned into bold directorial choices. English teacher Kristine Palmero, a chaperone on the trip, appreciated how the play was interpreted in a modernized context. She explained, “I was fascinated…in how it was not about the supernatural, but rather, state-sponsored mind control.” She also noted that the cast used a variety of accents and visual strategies that “remixed” the play into a less geographically fixed setting, forcing students to reconsider the original Scottish backdrop.
However, many students did not feel they completely understood the performance. In an anonymous post-trip survey of 17 attendees, when asked how well they understood the play on a five-point scale, 12 students rated their comprehension at a 3 or below, and none selected the top rating for full comprehension.
Several students attributed this confusion to the production’s modernization and fast delivery of dialogue, which made the play hard to follow without more context. Mia Xu ‘28 said, “My first impression was confusion. The modern vibe didn't really fit with what I expected of Shakespeare–the old language versus the contemporary cultural references were in conflict.” Chelsea Gao ‘28, who has read the play before, expressed that she felt the adaptation added “a lot of excessive information that's not in the original play.”
Xu added that the post-show Q&A clarified some choices–the director retained Shakespeare’s language, because it was Shakespeare. However, Xu still found jumps between eras and rapid dialogue disorienting. Unclear dismissal procedures compounded the problem, she said, as some students left early when they saw others departing and were unsure whether the Q&A was optional. Kairo Díaz-Archilla ‘28 echoed concerns about logistics, noting the schedule left some student-athletes rushed to make their after-school commitments.
At the same time, other students praised the production’s visual and thematic energy. Riley Qiu ‘28 said the staging “reflected a lot of the director's personal ideas” about conspiracy and power—elements her class discussions had prepared her to notice. Charlotte Sze ‘28 highlighted the show’s lighting and projections as especially effective: “I like the use of the curtain, because we could see all the shadows. It was really interesting to see them use light to make it look three-dimensional.” Gideon Weiss ‘28 described the trip as a useful preface to the unit, saying that it helped him begin to think about some of the themes of Macbeth he could later write about, even if he lacked full textual context while watching.
Students also shared suggestions to improve future experiences. In survey responses and interviews, several proposed a brief plot overview or discussion to provide more context before attending. Others emphasized that the post-show Q&A was one of the most valuable parts of the day, helping them understand the director’s choices and connect the performance to their classroom reading. Participation in the Q&A was optional, and the need for many students to return in time to meet athletic commitments constrained attendance.
Looking ahead, the English Department hopes to continue building connections between curriculum and culture. As Idsvoog put it, “There is so much culture and science and just human wonderfulness in the Boston area that we should take advantage of.”