Macbeth

In the spring of 2026, three college students in the United States are struggling. With mounting discourse and legislative action from politicians putting their identities, their communities, and their safety in jeopardy, they turn to a hobby to help themselves escape: “Dungeons & Dragons (D&D).” These three “witches” and their Dungeon Master (Hecate) use role-playing games as a way to process living in a world that is hostile to them, and to fantasize about what a better world might look like.

In UB’s production, Shakespeare’s parable about ambition and power is brought into direct conversation with contemporary politics and the ideological fight to belong faced by Americans whose identities remain marginalized. In Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth is driven mad by his lust for power and control, and mounting violence eventually leads Macbeth’s Scotland to a bloody civil war. Accordingly, “Macbeth” asks us to consider what qualities a good leader needs, how leaders can have healthy relationships to the power they wield, and the importance of protecting a nation from greed and corruption.

Content Advisory: “Macbeth” contains graphic depictions of murder and violence, including war and infanticide.

Special Experiences:

• Morning Program (Mar. 6): Schools, senior centers, and any community or social group are welcome to attend! Discounted tickets ($8) and backstage tours available. Contact: rjf3@buffalo.edu
• Post-Show Talkback (Mar. 6 evening show): Guest Scholar Dr. Erika T. Lin of the CUNY Graduate Center will host a brief audience discussion after the show. Professor Lin is the author of “Shakespeare and the Materiality of Performance,” which received the 2013 David Bevington Award for Best New Book in Early Drama Studies.

The UB Theatre and Dance 2025-2026 season is sponsored in part by Fox Run at Orchard Park, celebrating its seventh year in support of the department.