Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Voodoo Macbeth

Voodoo Macbeth was a 1936 staging of William Shakespeare's Macbeth by the Federal Theatre Project's Negro Unit in Harlem, New York City, adapted and directed by 20-year-old Orson Welles, who relocated the action to a fictional 19th-century Haiti and recast the witches as voodoo priestesses while employing an all-Black cast of approximately 150 performers.^[1]^[2] The production, produced by John Houseman under national director Hallie Flanagan as part of the Works Progress Administration's Depression-era relief efforts, premiered on April 14, 1936, at the Lafayette Theatre to sold-out crowds and ran for ten weeks, attracting over 150,000 spectators with tickets priced at 10 to 25 cents.^[1]^[2] It marked Welles's professional theatrical debut and one of the earliest major Shakespeare productions featuring an entirely African American cast, providing employment to hundreds of Black actors, musicians, and technicians amid widespread job scarcity.^[1]^[2] The adaptation preserved Shakespeare's text nearly intact but infused it with Haitian voodoo rituals, drums, and spectacle, including a cauldron scene with priestesses, which electrified audiences and highlighted the talents of performers like Canada Lee as Banquo and Rose McClendon as Lady Macbeth.^[1]

Historical Context

Federal Theatre Project Origins

The Federal Theatre Project (FTP) was established in August 1935 as a division of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a New Deal agency under President Franklin D. Roosevelt designed to alleviate widespread unemployment during the Great Depression. With approximately 20% of the workforce idle in 1935—including many theater professionals displaced by the near-total collapse of commercial stage production—the FTP sought to employ these workers in federally subsidized theatrical activities.^[3]^[4] This initiative reflected broader WPA efforts to extend relief beyond manual labor, channeling public funds into cultural projects to sustain skills and provide community benefits amid economic distress.^[3] Hallie Flanagan, an educator and playwright, was appointed national director shortly after the project's launch, overseeing its transformation into a decentralized network of regional theaters. The FTP's primary objectives included producing low-cost, accessible performances for mass audiences, fostering experimental and socially engaged drama, and prioritizing job creation for unemployed actors, directors, stagehands, and administrators. By late 1935, it had hired over 9,000 personnel, eventually peaking at around 12,700 employees, the vast majority drawn from government relief rolls.^[3]^[4] Funding, totaling approximately $46 million over four years, represented a minor fraction of the WPA's overall budget but enabled thousands of productions nationwide.^[5] While the FTP achieved notable scale in democratizing theater access, it encountered criticisms for operational inefficiencies and ideological skews in content selection, often linked to prevailing left-leaning sentiments in artistic circles and WPA administration. Detractors argued that taxpayer dollars subsidized partisan messaging rather than neutral relief, prompting congressional probes—such as those by the House Committee on Un-American Activities—that scrutinized alleged communist influences and wasteful spending, ultimately leading to the project's defunding in June 1939.^[6]^[7] These concerns underscored tensions between government intervention in the arts and demands for fiscal accountability and apolitical use of public resources.^[3]

Negro Theatre Unit Formation

The Negro Theatre Unit of the Federal Theatre Project was established in July 1935 as one of sixteen specialized units nationwide, aimed at employing African American theatre artists who faced systemic exclusion from commercial stages during the Great Depression.^[8] John Houseman was appointed director of the New York unit by national director Hallie Flanagan, with actress Rose McClendon serving as co-director to ensure authentic representation and recruitment from Black communities.^[1] This formation responded directly to acute economic distress in Harlem, where Black unemployment rates exceeded 50 percent by the early 1930s—double or triple those of whites—driving widespread reliance on relief programs amid factory closures and job scarcity.^[9]^[10] The unit prioritized practical job creation over experimental artistry in its initial phase, drawing talent from local venues like Harlem's Lafayette Theatre to stage productions tailored for Black audiences, including original scripts and adaptations of classics.^[11] McClendon's influence emphasized works by African American playwrights, reflecting a causal link between Depression-era desperation— with nearly half of Harlem families on relief rolls—and the need for culturally resonant employment opportunities rather than abstract diversity initiatives.^[12] Initial staffing included over 100 performers and crew from marginalized pools, providing verifiable relief through paid rehearsals and performances that bypassed mainstream barriers rooted in racial prejudice.^[11] This pragmatic structure addressed Harlem's 50 percent unemployment peak by 1932, channeling federal funds into sustainable theatre roles that sustained families hit hardest by the economic collapse, without initial emphasis on innovation that characterized later projects.^[10] Sources from the era, including Library of Congress archives, underscore the unit's formation as a direct counter to joblessness exceeding national averages, prioritizing empirical employment metrics over ideological framing.^[1]

Development and Adaptation

Orson Welles' Role

Orson Welles, aged 20, was recruited in the fall of 1935 by John Houseman, head of New York's Negro Theatre Unit within the Federal Theatre Project, to direct its first classical production. Houseman chose Welles following the latter's portrayal of Tybalt in a touring Romeo and Juliet and their shared interest in Elizabethan staging techniques.^[1] Welles brought nascent directing experience from a high school Julius Caesar and a summer stock Trilby in Illinois, alongside emerging radio work that supplemented his ambitions in theater innovation.^[1] This FTP assignment offered Welles an early platform amid the program's relief-oriented yet experimental structure, enabling rapid advancement unhindered by rigid commercial constraints. Welles adopted a hands-on approach to adaptation, transplanting the action to 19th-century Haiti under a figure modeled on King Henri Christophe, substituting voodoo priestesses for the original witches to evoke a culturally resonant supernaturalism.^[1] He revised the text to foreground the witches' influence—elevating Hecate as a male ringleader—and modified the conclusion to excise reconciliation, intensifying the play's tragic inexorability while incorporating percussion-heavy rituals for auditory spectacle.^[1] Rehearsals commenced in late 1935, yielding a cohesive concept within months that capitalized on Welles' youthfully unorthodox vision and the unit's predominantly amateur ensemble.^[1] These choices, informed by practical immersion rather than doctrinal theory, prefigured the dynamic, audience-engaging aesthetics of his subsequent Mercury Theatre endeavors.^[13]

Conceptual Changes from Original Macbeth

Orson Welles relocated the setting of Macbeth from medieval Scotland to a fictional 19th-century Haiti amid the aftermath of its slave revolution, modeling the tyrannical rule after King Henry Christophe's regime to evoke a post-colonial dictatorship.^[14]^[13] This shift replaced the play's Celtic folklore with Haitian vodou elements, transforming the three witches into voodoo priestesses who led rituals accompanied by African drummers chanting and performing ceremonies.^[13]^[15] Script adaptations involved cuts and rearrangements to Shakespeare's text, such as shortening certain speeches, to accommodate the expanded supernatural sequences and integrate rhythmic spectacle with a cast of 150 performers in communal voodoo rites.^[16] These changes amplified visual and auditory drama, substituting introspective monologues with dynamic ensemble actions to heighten immediacy.^[14] The modifications prioritized suitability for an all-Black cast by drawing on cultural motifs familiar to Harlem audiences, as producer John Houseman argued that a Scottish context would alienate viewers seeking resonance beyond stereotypical roles.^[17] Causally, this fostered accessibility through proximate supernaturalism and thematic parallels to revolutionary ambition and downfall, leveraging performers' strengths in music and dance for rhythmic propulsion that enhanced crowd immersion over textual purity.^[13]^[14]

Production Process

Casting Decisions

The Voodoo Macbeth featured an entirely African American cast of 150 performers, selected through auditions in Harlem under the auspices of the Federal Theatre Project's Negro Theatre Unit to provide employment opportunities for underutilized Black artists amid the Great Depression.^[2]^[18] This logistics-driven approach prioritized sourcing local talent from the Harlem community, where a pool of eager but often unemployed performers resided, aligning with the FTP's relief objectives.^[17] Director Orson Welles cast relative unknowns in key roles to maximize participation, including Canada Lee—a former professional boxer with limited prior stage experience—as Banquo, highlighting a preference for actors exhibiting strong physical presence and vocal power over conventional classical training.^[13]^[19] Principal roles such as Macbeth (Jack Carter) and Lady Macbeth (Edna Thomas) were assigned to performers capable of embodying the production's intense, ritualistic demands without resorting to stereotypical portrayals, though the era's demographics limited the number of experienced Black female leads available.^[20] The ensemble's composition thus reflected both practical employment imperatives and a deliberate effort to showcase dignified interpretations of Shakespeare's characters by non-white actors.^[21]

Staging, Costumes, and Technical Elements

The sets for Voodoo Macbeth, designed by Nat Karson, depicted Haitian jungle environments with colorful backdrops and skeletal motifs to evoke supernatural atmospheres, utilizing a single unchanging set of a castle amid jungle foliage adapted from Federal Theatre Project materials. Both sets and costumes were fabricated in Works Progress Administration workrooms at a combined cost of $2,000, enabling spectacle on a constrained budget through efficient labor allocation.^[1]^[22] Costumes, also by Karson, incorporated vibrant, thematic elements blending tribal voodoo aesthetics with colonial influences, outfitting over 100 performers including supernumeraries in ritual scenes to heighten visual impact and dramatic immersion. These designs supported massed onstage groupings, such as the Act II coronation ball featuring more than 100 cast members, contributing to the production's rhythmic and ceremonial intensity.^[1] Auditory elements replaced Shakespeare's original score with authentic voodoo drumming on tom-toms and percussive chants performed by a Sierra Leonean ensemble led by a designated witch doctor, amplifying tension in witches' scenes and key speeches; additional sound effects like thunder, wails, bells, and pistol reports, curated by Virgil Thomson, further intensified the eerie ambiance. Lighting, directed by Abe Feder, employed spotlights to sweep crowds and create haunting effects, achieving technical feats despite budgetary limits via crew ingenuity as noted in project documentation.^[1]^[16]^[23]

Rehearsals and Challenges

Rehearsals for Voodoo Macbeth commenced in early April 1936 under the Federal Theatre Project's Negro Theatre Unit, characterized by intense late-night sessions due to director Orson Welles' concurrent radio commitments, often extending past midnight to accommodate participants' daytime jobs.^[1] The process was marked by chaos, with Welles issuing rapid-fire directives amid actors struggling to memorize lines, as recalled in accounts of him shouting commands like "Jesus Christ, Jack—learn your lines!"^[1] Approximately 95 percent of the 137-member cast comprised amateurs with limited professional experience, many drawn from Harlem's community rather than established performers, which compounded difficulties in delivering Shakespeare's verse.^[1]^[19] Key challenges included community skepticism toward a white director staging "Shakespeare in blackface," leading to initial tensions and even a physical attack on Welles during preparations, alongside logistical strains from the cast's inexperience and ongoing script revisions that transposed the setting to 19th-century Haiti with voodoo elements replacing medieval witches.^[1]^[19] Physical demands arose from incorporating rhythmic dances and percussion-heavy scenes, where untrained actors faced hurdles in syncing movements and accents, partially addressed by integrating authentic drummers and elocutionists to support vocal delivery through musical cues rather than strict elocution.^[1] The Federal Theatre Project's subsidized model, paying actors $20 per week, enabled employment for novices but contributed to the rushed timeline, with a mere $2,000 allocated for scenery and costumes, resulting in minimal budgetary overruns yet highlighting trade-offs between job creation and preparation thoroughness.^[19]^[1] Welles mitigated these issues through improvisational directing, leveraging the cast's innate rhythmic sense for minimal corrections and fostering rapport via off-site outings, such as nights at Harlem clubs with lead actor Jack Carter, which built trust despite reported threats from frustrated performers.^[1]^[19] Extended sessions, including one nearing 72 continuous hours, tested endurance but honed the production's dynamic energy, prioritizing visual and auditory spectacle over textual fidelity to suit the ensemble's strengths.^[19] These adaptations underscored the practical constraints of government-funded theater, where haste yielded innovative but imperfect results.^[1]

Premiere and Performance

Opening Night Details

The Voodoo Macbeth premiered on April 14, 1936, at Harlem's Lafayette Theatre, after a last-minute postponement from the originally announced opening date of April 9.^[24] The theatre's approximately 1,223 seats sold out rapidly, with external crowds exceeding 10,000 people, leading to gridlocked traffic stretching several blocks and an atmosphere of intense excitement.^[17] ^[25] As part of the Federal Theatre Project, tickets were priced affordably at 25 cents or similar low rates to ensure accessibility, attracting a diverse audience of black and white patrons who sat together—an uncommon practice for New York City theaters in 1936 amid prevailing segregation norms.^[21] ^[26] First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's presence at the opening further heightened anticipation, underscoring the production's draw across social strata.^[27] Orson Welles, the 20-year-old director, oversaw final adjustments in the lead-up to curtain, capitalizing on the extra days from the delay to refine the ambitious staging featuring voodoo drums and a 150-member all-black cast.^[24] The evening's energy reflected Harlem's shift from initial community skepticism to widespread pride, setting an omen of the production's immediate resonance despite logistical pressures.^[20]

Run Duration and Commercial Success

The Voodoo Macbeth production opened on April 14, 1936, at the Lafayette Theatre in Harlem and ran for ten sold-out weeks, drawing capacity crowds to the 1,223-seat venue nearly every performance.^[1] This initial run concluded around mid-June 1936, after which it transferred downtown to the Adelphi Theatre for a brief ten-day engagement before embarking on a national tour.^[1]^[28] Attendance metrics demonstrated exceptional commercial viability for the Federal Theatre Project (FTP), with over 10,000 spectators crowding the streets outside the Lafayette on opening night despite the house being full.^[1] Weekly box office grosses peaked at $1,935 during the Harlem run, exceeding expectations for a subsidized relief program production with 40-cent tickets that scalpers resold for up to $3.^[1] Popularity surged through word-of-mouth within Black communities, fostering repeat viewings and standing-room demand that marked it as the Negro Theatre Project's most successful endeavor.^[29]^[1] The run's end in Harlem stemmed from scheduling to enable the downtown transfer and tour, rather than waning interest or financial shortfall, though broader FTP operations remained subsidy-dependent, with the subsequent tour netting only $14,000 against $97,000 in costs.^[1] Plans for further extensions or transfers did not fully materialize amid the project's relief-focused mandate prioritizing employment over sustained profitability.^[1]

Key Personnel

Principal Cast Roles

The title role of Macbeth was portrayed by Jack Carter, one of only four professional actors in the production's cast of 150, bringing experience from prior stage work to the lead amid an ensemble largely composed of amateurs from the Negro Theatre Unit.^[30] Lady Macbeth was played by Edna Thomas, who assumed the role after Rose McClendon, the intended actress and co-director, fell critically ill and was unable to perform; Thomas, a veteran of Harlem Renaissance theater including the 1934 play Stevedore, delivered the part with established poise.^[31]^[30] Banquo was enacted by Canada Lee, a former boxer and bandleader with minimal prior acting credits, whose commanding performance in this Federal Theatre Project marked a pivotal debut that propelled his career, leading to roles in films like Body and Soul (1947) and establishing him as a prominent Black stage actor during an era of limited opportunities.^[1]^[32] Other notable principals included Maurice Ellis as Macduff, Service Bell as King Duncan, and Wardell Saunders as Malcolm, each contributing to the production's emphasis on showcasing emerging Black talent without pre-existing stardom, which post-run visibility enhanced their professional résumés in a racially constrained industry.^[30]^[24]

Creative Team Contributions

Orson Welles adapted Shakespeare's Macbeth for the production, relocating the setting to a fictional 19th-century Caribbean island modeled after Haiti and integrating voodoo elements, such as transforming the witches into priestesses who perform rituals with ceremonial drumming and chants. This adaptation emphasized supernatural forces as conduits of evil, drawing on Haitian cultural motifs to heighten dramatic intensity while preserving the play's core themes of ambition and downfall.^[23]^[13] Nat Karson handled both scenic and costume design, crafting sets with lush jungle backdrops and atmospheric elements like cauldrons and ritual spaces to immerse audiences in a tropical, otherworldly environment. His costumes incorporated authentic 19th-century Haitian influences, including layered fabrics and accessories evoking the island's historical dress, achieved through workshops staffed by Federal Theatre Project workers. These designs supported the voodoo reinterpretation without exceeding the production's limited scenic budget of $2,000.^[24]^[1] The creative team's work was facilitated by the Depression-era Federal Theatre Project, which augmented professional staff with relief laborers—many unskilled but enthusiastic—enabling cost-effective execution of complex visuals amid economic constraints. This approach, rooted in New Deal work-relief programs, allowed for innovative staging that prioritized immersion over extravagance.^[1]^[33]

Reception and Analysis

Audience Engagement

On opening night, April 14, 1936, over 10,000 people assembled outside the 1,223-seat Lafayette Theatre in Harlem, packing the venue to capacity and spilling crowds 10 blocks along Seventh Avenue, which halted northbound traffic for hours.^[1]^[17] This turnout reflected intense local anticipation for the Federal Theatre Project's Negro Unit production, with lines forming well in advance to secure free or low-cost seats.^[1] The Voodoo Macbeth drew predominantly Harlem-based audiences, exceeding typical Federal Theatre Project attendance patterns by emphasizing community accessibility through tickets priced at 15 to 50 cents or offered free, which appealed to working-class spectators seeking affordable entertainment amid the Great Depression.^[1]^[2] The novelty of an all-Black cast reinterpreting Shakespeare via Haitian voodoo elements created a shared communal fervor, distinct from more varied demographic draws in other FTP offerings.^[1] Performances sold out for weeks, establishing new attendance benchmarks for the FTP and underscoring public enthusiasm rooted in both the empowering visibility of Black performers in classical roles and pragmatic appreciation for the program's role in providing employment relief to hundreds of artists.^[2]^[34]^[1]

Critical Evaluations and Viewpoints

Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times commended the production's witches' scene as "logical and stunning and a triumph of theatre art," highlighting how the voodoo elements, including drums and witch doctors, integrated seamlessly with the Haitian setting to create a vivid, sub-tropical atmosphere that enhanced the supernatural aspects of Shakespeare's text.^[35] He also praised the bold costumes and sets by Nat Karson for infusing the stage with "sensuous, black-blooded vitality," particularly in the banquet scene, which contributed to the overall spectacle and accessibility for audiences unfamiliar with traditional Shakespearean productions.^[35] However, Atkinson critiqued the adaptation for prioritizing visual pomp over the play's poetic essence and tragic depth, noting that the staging, while resourceful in isolated moments, lacked the "sweep of a poetic tragedy" and contained "very little" of Shakespeare's core thematic substance.^[35] He observed deficiencies in the principal performances, describing Jack Carter's Macbeth as a physically imposing figure who failed to command the poetry or inner turmoil of the character, and Edna Thomas's Lady Macbeth as possessing stage presence but delivering lines without sufficient verse interpretation.^[35] Other reviewers expressed skepticism about the voodoo framework as a dilution of the original, with some dismissing the production as an "experiment in Afro-American showmanship" rather than faithful Shakespeare, arguing it subordinated the text to exotic spectacle.^[36] Percy Hammond of the New York Herald Tribune faulted the cast for being inaudible and timid, reflecting broader doubts among certain critics about Black actors' capacity to embody the tragic gravitas of roles traditionally reserved for white performers amid a history of stereotypical portrayals.^[37] These views underscored a tension between artistic innovation and purist expectations, where the all-Black ensemble's shift from comic dialects to complex tragedy challenged entrenched assumptions, though empirical attendance figures indicated the production's popular resonance despite such reservations.^[38]

Controversies and Critiques

Racial Dynamics and Representation

The Voodoo Macbeth production employed an all-Black cast of about 150 actors, along with numerous Black technicians, providing rare professional opportunities during the Great Depression when systemic racial barriers confined most Black performers to vaudeville or stereotypical roles.^[2]^[13] This marked the first professional Shakespeare production featuring exclusively Black actors, elevating their visibility in classical theater and challenging exclusionary norms of the era.^[16] Directed primarily by white 20-year-old Orson Welles, with involvement from Black co-director Rose McClendon of the Negro Theatre Unit, the project leveraged Federal Theatre Project resources to stage an ambitious spectacle unattainable under typical segregation-era constraints.^[19]^[1] Proponents highlight how this structure delivered tangible benefits, including job security for months and career advancements for talents like Canada Lee, who played Banquo and later starred in films.^[39]^[17] Debates persist over whether Welles' dominant role exemplified exploitative paternalism—imposing a white artistic vision on Black performers—or essential pragmatism, as Black-led initiatives lacked comparable funding and venue access amid Jim Crow laws.^[26] Verifiable metrics, such as the 10-week sold-out run attracting 10,000 attendees opening night alone, underscore practical empowerment through employment and proven demand for non-stereotypical Black portrayals, outweighing ideological concerns in a context of economic desperation and artistic scarcity.^[2]^[1] Later academic analyses questioning racial agency often overlook these immediate causal gains, reflecting interpretive biases rather than contemporaneous evidence of widespread resentment among participants.^[40]

Cultural Portrayal of Voodoo

The Voodoo Macbeth relocated Shakespeare's narrative to a fictional 19th-century Haiti, transforming the three witches into voodoo priestesses who perform rituals featuring tribal drums, ecstatic dances, and a cauldron evoking ceremonial pots used in Vodou possession rites.^[1] This adaptation drew inspiration from Haitian folklore post-independence, substituting European witchcraft with local supernatural elements to resonate with the all-Black cast and Harlem audience.^[20] Choreographer Asadata Dafora Horton, drawing from West African and Haitian traditions, incorporated authentic movement patterns and chants into the production's ritual scenes, lending a layer of ethnographic fidelity to depictions of spirit invocation and communal ceremony.^[41] However, the portrayal prioritized dramatic spectacle, sensationalizing Vodou as ominous sorcery—exemplified by Hecate's domineering role as a whip-wielding male priest controlling "zombie-like" cripples—over its syncretic integration of Catholic saints with African loa worship and emphasis on healing and community resilience.^[42] Influenced by popular American accounts like William Seabrook's 1929 The Magic Island, which exoticized Vodou through tales of zombies and cannibalism amid U.S. occupation (1915–1934), the production reflected biased Western interpretations rather than unfiltered Haitian practices.^[42] Critics argue this reinforced stereotypes of Vodou as primitive superstition, inverting authentic gender dynamics where female mambos often led ceremonies, and aligning with imperialist narratives justifying intervention.^[42] Yet, some analyses highlight the rituals' evocation of Vodou's historical role in fostering resistance, as during the Haitian Revolution, suggesting an unintended affirmation of cultural agency despite dramaturgical liberties.^[41] Causally, while the intent—to render Shakespeare accessible via culturally proximate mysticism—succeeded in engaging audiences, the reliance on lore filtered through biased sources likely perpetuated misconceptions, prioritizing theatrical impact over precise ethnography and contributing to Vodou's marginalization as mere exotic backdrop.^[42]^[41]

Political Motivations of the FTP

The Federal Theatre Project (FTP), established in August 1935 as a division of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, primarily aimed to alleviate unemployment among theater professionals during the Great Depression by subsidizing productions nationwide.^[3] With an annual budget peaking at around $7 million—representing less than 1% of the WPA's total arts allocations—it employed over 10,000 workers across 40 states, producing more than 1,200 performances that reached an estimated 30 million attendees, often at low or no cost.^[7] While framed as economic relief akin to other WPA initiatives, the FTP's national director, Hallie Flanagan, explicitly sought to harness theater as a tool for mass education and cultural uplift, envisioning it as a "people's theatre" to foster democratic values and address social issues, which critics interpreted as an extension of New Deal ideological promotion.^[5] This dual relief-and-propaganda mandate raised conservative concerns that taxpayer funds were subsidizing content aligned with left-leaning priorities, such as labor rights and economic reform, rather than neutral artistic output. Many FTP productions exemplified these political leanings, particularly the Living Newspaper unit's docudramas that dramatized current events with progressive slants, including Triple-A Plowed Under (1936), which critiqued agricultural policies favoring large landowners, and Power (1937), which highlighted utility monopolies and advocated public ownership—echoing Popular Front themes of the era.^[43] Other works, like those addressing racial inequality and worker strikes, drew accusations of fostering class antagonism and socialist agitation, with congressional opponents arguing that such fare constituted subsidized advocacy for the administration's welfare state expansion.^[44] In contrast, the Voodoo Macbeth (1936), produced by the FTP's Negro Theatre Unit, deviated as a non-ideological adaptation of Shakespeare's classic, focusing on dramatic spectacle without explicit policy critiques, thereby serving as a rare neutral outlier amid the project's more activist-oriented slate.^[45] Empirical assessments noted the FTP's reach but highlighted inefficiencies, including bureaucratic overhead that absorbed significant resources before defunding, as WPA auditors documented challenges in coordinating decentralized units despite modest overall costs relative to employment generated.^[46] These motivations culminated in scrutiny by the House Special Committee on Un-American Activities, chaired by Representative Martin Dies Jr., which from 1938 investigated the FTP for alleged communist infiltration.^[47] Testimonies revealed over 100 staff members with verified Communist Party affiliations, alongside productions incorporating Marxist rhetoric, prompting Dies to label the project a "hotbed of subversive activities" that risked indoctrinating audiences via government-backed theater.^[48] Congress terminated FTP funding effective June 30, 1939, amid broader conservative backlash against New Deal programs perceived as breeding dependency and politicized inefficiency, though defenders like Flanagan maintained the content promoted Americanism rather than radicalism—a claim undermined by the prevalence of left-sympathizing personnel and themes.^[5] This outcome underscored valid risks of propaganda in subsidized arts, where empirical evidence of ideological skew justified defunding over portrayals of the FTP as unalloyed altruism in institutionally biased historical narratives.^[7]

Legacy and Influence

Impact on American Theatre

The Voodoo Macbeth production of 1936 represented a pioneering effort in casting an all-Black ensemble for a Shakespearean tragedy, employing over 150 performers and technicians from the Federal Theatre Project's Negro Unit, thereby expanding opportunities for African American artists in classical roles during the Great Depression.^[1]^[2] This approach influenced subsequent Federal Theatre initiatives, such as the Seattle Negro Unit's all-Black Lysistrata in 1937, demonstrating viability for non-stereotypical interpretations of canonical works within government-supported theatre.^[1] However, post-1939, after the project's termination, African American performers largely reverted to limited, stereotypical parts in commercial theatre, underscoring the production's role in temporary rather than structural diversification absent sustained funding.^[1] By relocating Shakespeare's narrative to a Haitian voodoo context with innovative staging— including drum ensembles and ritualistic elements—the production advanced experimentalism in American theatre, blending cultural specificity with universal tragedy to appeal beyond traditional audiences.^[1] Its 10-week sold-out run at Harlem's Lafayette Theatre, drawing overflow crowds that stood outside and toured to cities like Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1937, evidenced market-driven demand for accessible adaptations, countering perceptions of Shakespeare as an elite, white-domain pursuit.^[1]^[21] This success broadened theatre access via subsidized 15-cent tickets, fostering greater public engagement with highbrow drama amid economic hardship.^[1] While the production's reliance on federal subsidies enabled these innovations—contrasting the self-sustaining resilience of private enterprises—it highlighted vulnerabilities in government-dependent models, as the Federal Theatre's 1939 defunding curtailed similar experimental diversity efforts.^[1] Nonetheless, its empirical proof of audience enthusiasm for culturally resonant adaptations laid groundwork for later pushes toward inclusive staging, prioritizing practical viability over ideological mandates.^[20]

Career Advancements and Broader Effects

The success of Voodoo Macbeth marked a pivotal advancement for director Orson Welles, then aged 20, by showcasing his innovative staging and garnering widespread acclaim that established his reputation in American theatre. This production directly facilitated his partnership with producer John Houseman, leading to the founding of the Mercury Theatre in 1937, which produced acclaimed adaptations like the 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds and paved the way for Welles' Hollywood contract with RKO Pictures, culminating in the 1941 release of Citizen Kane.^[49]^[17] Among the cast, Canada Lee, who portrayed Banquo, transitioned from prior careers in boxing and music to a sustained acting trajectory, securing roles in Broadway productions such as Big White Fog (1938) and films including Body and Soul (1947), where he earned recognition as one of the era's prominent Black performers capable of leading dramatic parts.^[50]^[32] Other principals like Jack Carter (Macbeth) and Edna Thomas (Lady Macbeth) similarly built on the exposure, with Carter appearing in subsequent stage works and Thomas in international tours, though Lee's path exemplified the potential for individual talent to yield Hollywood opportunities amid systemic barriers.^[17] Beyond personal trajectories, the production empirically demonstrated the viability of Black actors in interpreting complex Shakespearean roles, countering skepticism rooted in stereotypes by delivering sold-out performances that emphasized merit over racial presumptions. On the economic front, as a Federal Theatre Project initiative under the Works Progress Administration, it employed roughly 150 African American performers and crew members—many untrained prior to the FTP—providing wages equivalent to relief-scale pay during the Great Depression's peak unemployment, thus offering targeted, albeit temporary, financial support without reliance on private patronage.^[2]^[1]

Modern Revivals and Adaptations

In March 2013, the American Century Theater in Arlington, Virginia, presented a revival of the Voodoo Macbeth at the Gunston Arts Center, preserving the Haitian island setting, voodoo rituals in place of witches, and an all-Black cast while incorporating multimedia elements like projections to evoke the 1930s aesthetic.^[51] The production, directed by Jack Marshall, ran from March 22 to April 13 and drew attention for its attempt to recapture the original's spectacle but elicited mixed responses, with critics noting its experimental style frustrated viewers seeking clearer narrative fidelity to Shakespeare's text.^[52] Other regional theaters have occasionally programmed inspired stagings, such as Ensemble Theatre's TheatreCLE in Cleveland announcing a Voodoo Macbeth for its 2013-14 season, reinterpreting Welles's 1936 framework with emphasis on the play's adaptation to Caribbean folklore.^[53] These efforts highlight intermittent revival interest tied to milestones in diverse Shakespeare productions, though documentation of attendance figures or financial outcomes remains sparse, suggesting no widespread commercial replication of the original's reported box-office draw exceeding 150,000 attendees in 1936. A 2021 feature film titled Voodoo Macbeth, directed by Dagmawi Abebe and released theatrically in select markets in 2022, fictionalizes the original production's development under Orson Welles, focusing on interpersonal dramas, casting challenges, and Federal Theatre Project politics rather than restaging the play.^[54] Starring Inger Tudor as Rose McClendon and narrated through Welles's perspective (with brief appearances by figures like Danny Glover), the film earned a 71% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes from 14 reviews but faced criticism for historical distortions, including amplified depictions of racial tensions and Welles as a singular heroic innovator amid Black performers' contributions.^[55] Reviewers described it as a "textbook white savior film" that overemphasizes external obstacles like funding cuts while underplaying the ensemble's agency, contributing to its modest audience reception evidenced by a 6.1/10 IMDb user rating from 138 votes.^[56]^[54] Modern adaptations and revivals often retain the voodoo substitution for supernatural elements to underscore cultural fusion but encounter updated scrutiny over portrayal of Haitian Vodou, with some productions opting for contextual notes to address potential appropriation concerns absent in the 1930s original.^[52] This reflects broader empirical patterns in Shakespearean reinterpretations, where innovative diversity landmarks sustain niche appeal without consistent high box-office returns comparable to traditional mountings.

References

[1]
The Play That Electrified Harlem | Articles and Essays | Federal ...
For all its individual brilliance, the Voodoo Macbeth was fairly representive of American theater ... "Macbeth" adapted by Orson Welles. Act I, Scene II. Duncan ...
[2]
Up Close: The voodoo Macbeth that generated jobs for Black ...
Feb 16, 2021 · A spectacular 1936 Federal Theatre Project production of "Macbeth" in New York City employed hundreds of black actors and theater ...
[3]
The WPA Federal Theatre Project, 1935-1939 | Articles and Essays
The Federal Theatre Project was the largest and most ambitious effort mounted by the Federal Government to organize and produce theater events.Missing: budget criticisms
[4]
WPA Federal Theatre Project | Theater Arts, Cultural Programs, New ...
Its purpose was to create jobs for unemployed theatrical people during the Great Depression, and its director was the educator and playwright Hallie Flanagan.Missing: budget | Show results with:budget
[5]
Federal Theatre Project - HistoryLink.org
Oct 30, 2002 · Federal funding for the arts was controversial, although the budget for the Project amounted to less than 1 percent of the WPA's total ...Missing: establishment objectives criticisms
[6]
Federal Theatre Project | The First Amendment Encyclopedia
that is, the profits, Hopkins proclaimed, “won't be money ...Missing: objectives | Show results with:objectives
[7]
Why Conservatives Killed America's Federally Funded Theater
Jun 10, 2024 · The Federal Theatre Project was the most ambitious attempt in American history to use theater to strengthen democratic citizenship.Missing: objectives | Show results with:objectives
[8]
Rose McClendon and the Black Units of the Federal Theatre Project
ROSE McCLENDON AND THE BLACK UNITS ... In July 1935, the Federal Theatre Project followed McClendon's advice and founded sixteen Negro Units throughout the United ...
[9]
The Great Depression - Amistad Digital Resource
While white unemployment had hit an extraordinarily high rate of 31.7 percent in 1931, it was well over 50 percent for Black Americans. As the economy ...
[10]
[XML] The Great Depression (1929-1939)
By 1932, Harlem had an unemployment rate of 50 percent and property owned or managed by blacks fell from 30 percent to 5 percent in 1935. Farmers in the ...<|separator|>
[11]
Federal Theatre Project (Negro Units) | BlackPast.org
Feb 6, 2008 · The best-known and most active FTP was The New York Negro Unit (1935-1939). ... Two white directors, John Houseman and Orson Welles, headed it in ...
[12]
HARLEM IN THE GREAT DEPRESSION: 1928-1936 - ProQuest
Massive unemployment pervaded Harlem and nearly half of the community's families were on the relief rolls.Missing: 1930s statistics
[13]
Young Orson Welles Directs "Voodoo Macbeth," the First ...
Sep 23, 2015 · For his first play, Welles adapted Shakespeare's Macbeth, setting it on the island of Haiti under post-revolutionary ruler King Henri Christophe ...
[14]
A memorable Macbeth: Setting the Scottish play in 19th-century Haiti
May 28, 2024 · This production, also known as the “voodoo Macbeth,” was set in 19th-century Haiti and took the stage only a year after the United States had ended a lengthy ...
[15]
Orson Welles: Voodoo Macbeth
Voodoo Macbeth, created by playwright, actor and director Orson Welles, was the most popular theatre performance of the Negro Theatre Project's New York unit.Missing: facts | Show results with:facts
[16]
Shakespeare, Orson Welles, And the "Voodoo" Macbeth - jstor
Shakespeare used his brief scene to sketch the contours of the play's world. By weaving a particular conception of Scotland so intricately into the warp and ...Missing: shortening | Show results with:shortening
[17]
Voodoo 'Macbeth': Orson Welles' Historic Production With a Black Cast
Aug 30, 2023 · In 1937, Orson Welles produced Macbeth in Harlem. With an all-Black cast. And set it in a fictional Caribbean island that emulated 19th-century Haiti.
[18]
Orson Welles' 'Voodoo Macbeth', 86-year-old all-black ... - abc7NY
Feb 23, 2023 · Welles moved the location of the play to Haiti and changed the Scottish witchcraft of the original Macbeth, to Haitian voodoo rituals. The ...Missing: adaptation | Show results with:adaptation
[19]
[PDF] Orson Welles and the "Voodoo" Macbeth - Digital Commons@ETSU
Jun 1, 2016 · the Vega Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of Lockheed which produced most of the aircraft for its parent company during WW II. The radio ...
[20]
Orson Welles' All-Black Version of 'Macbeth' Excited Theatergoers ...
At a time of deep racial prejudice, Welles' Voodoo Macbeth granted Black Americans some semblance of equality—and on the stage, it allowed them to bewitch the ...
[21]
1936: Macbeth With an All-Black Cast Plays Bridgeport
The film contains brief scenes of the Welles character directing rehearsals of Macbeth as well as a portrait of the rich milieu of the Federal Theatre Project.Missing: facts | Show results with:facts
[22]
[PDF] Orson Welles and the “Voodoo” Macbeth - CEJSH
My essay will consider how the terms “national origins” and “originality” intersect in three distinct ways vis-a-vis this play: The Harlem locale for the ...Missing: shortening | Show results with:shortening
[23]
Orson Welles and the Voodoo Macbeth - Folger Shakespeare Library
May 6, 2016 · Set in 19th-century Haiti, this innovative take on Shakespeare's play featured voodoo drumming, colorful jungle scenery, and an all-black cast.Missing: shortening details
[24]
Macbeth – Broadway Play – 1936 Revival | IBDB
Opening night was originally announced for April 9, 1936, but was postponed at the last minute, instead opening on April 14. People. Production Staff; Opening ...Missing: details | Show results with:details
[25]
Shakespeare in Black and White
Jan 28, 2015 · DUNCAN: Eleanor Roosevelt. Ralph Bunche ... It opened in April 1936 and it is reported that over 10,000 people showed up for opening night.
[26]
Inside first all-Black production of Macbeth - The Tulane Hullabaloo
Nov 1, 2023 · Twenty-year-old Orson Welles' first-ever production of Shakespeare's “Macbeth” comprised an all-Black troupe of actors for the Federal Theatre Project in 1936.
[27]
ANEW BLACK THEATER - The New York Times
Jul 22, 1979 · Audiences, black and white, said otherwise. Eleanor Roosevelt trooped uptown for opening night. People rioted to get tickets. It was a sell‐out.
[28]
'Voodoo Macbeth' turns 80 - (photos and videos) - Wellesnet
Apr 13, 2016 · Welles also hired a team of African drummers, some familiar with voodoo rituals, to accompany the witch's speeches. The Lafayette Theatre was ...Missing: performers | Show results with:performers
[29]
Black in the Limelight: The New Deal's Negro Theater Project
Feb 18, 2022 · The WPA's Federal Theatre Project (FTP), was the federal government's most ambitious effort ever to organize and produce live theatre events.Missing: formation | Show results with:formation<|separator|>
[30]
The "Voodoo" Macbeth:1936 - WellesNet
Set in the Haiti of the emperor Christophe, Welles subsituted voodoo witch doctors for the three witches of the play.Missing: adaptation shortening
[31]
Dramatizations fall short in telling true story of 'Voodoo Macbeth'
Jan 20, 2022 · “Voodoo” Macbeth drew crowds to the Lafayette Theatre in 1936. ... Federal Theatre Project production of Macbeth, staged in Harlem in 1936.<|separator|>
[32]
Canada Lee: The Boxer Who Played Banquo - Travalanche
Mar 3, 2019 · After a short-lived comedy called Sailor, Beware (1935), he was hired by Orson Welles to play Banquo in his landmark Harlem production of Voodoo MacBeth (1936).
[33]
The Federal Theatre Project Presents: “Voodoo Macbeth”
May 15, 2025 · "Voodoo Macbeth" was a 1936 play by Orson Welles set in 19th-century Haiti, allowing Black actors to perform larger roles. It was a successful ...Missing: details | Show results with:details
[34]
The Works Progress Administration (WPA)
The FTP put 10,000 unemployed theatre people to work. ... The Welles version of “Macbeth” (referred to as “The Voodoo Macbeth”) set new attendance records, and ...
[35]
THE PLAY; 'Macbeth,' or Harlem Boy Goes Wrong, Under Auspices ...
If it is a voodoo show suggested by the Macbeth legend, we can toss a sweaty night-cap in the air. For the darktown version of "Macbeth," which Orson Welles has ...
[36]
"THE PLAY THAT ELECTRIFIED HARLEM":
Development of Macbeth quietly began in the Fall of 1935. Hallie Flanagan named John Houseman to lead the FTP's Negro Unit in New York. Flanagan had wanted to ...
[37]
In 1936 Orson Welles staged an all black production of Macbeth in ...
May 31, 2021 · "During Voodoo Macbeth, the theatre was picketed throughout rehearsals. One man attempted to slash Welles's face with a razor, but Canada Lee, ...Macbeth: Three Distinctive Adaptations : r/TrueFilm - RedditMacbeth(2015) is an absolutely amazing film and one that you ...More results from www.reddit.comMissing: script | Show results with:script
[38]
But Was It "Shakespeare?": Welles's "Macbeth" and "Julius Caesar"
Welles's manner of directing and on Julius Caesar and Macbeth. Welles's Macbeth, frequently referred to as the Voodoo Macbeth, was one of the most successful ...
[39]
Orson Welles' Voodoo Macbeth: A forgotten diversity landmark - BBC
Mar 22, 2018 · Here we look back at a landmark staging of the Bard's work: Orson Welles' all-black 1936 production.Missing: preference raw energy classical training archival evidence
[40]
Corporealizing Evil Through Blackness in Orson Welles's “Voodoo ...
I examine how Welles manipulated Macbeth's psyche and, in doing so, I investigate the production's treatment of the black body, voice, music, and the ...
[41]
Project MUSE - Afro-Haitian-American Ritual Power: <i>Vodou</i> in the Welles-FTP <i>Voodoo Macbeth</i>
- **Authenticity of Rituals**: The Voodoo Macbeth production, directed by Orson Welles in 1936, incorporated authentic Afro-Haitian Vodou rituals, guided by African dancer Asadata Dafora Horton, aligning with genuine practices.
[42]
[PDF] The Role of Hecate in Orson Welles' “Voodoo” Macbeth
choosing Hecate to be the epitome and center of evil in the play, Welles imbues Voodoo with a foreign masculinity, which, I argue, allows him to better relate ...Missing: input | Show results with:input<|separator|>
[43]
Living Newspaper: 50 Interesting Facts | The Drama Teacher
Dec 15, 2023 · left-wing and politicised. Four of the most successful Federal Theatre project living newspapers were: Power – a play about the ownership of ...
[44]
https://www.yalereview.org/article/charlie-tyson-james-shapiro-the-playbook
[45]
Coast to Coast: The Federal Theatre Project, 1935-1939 | Classics
... Theatre. The play was performed by Theatre Unit 891, which was headed by John Houseman and had some of the finest nascent talent in all of the theatrical arts.
[46]
Federal Theatre: Melodrama, Social Protest, and Genius
After John Houseman's departure from Harlem to head the new "891" classical unit, the Negro unit had produced Turpentine, a play about the conditions in the ...
[47]
The theater project that sparked a congressional probe—and culture ...
May 26, 2024 · Its budget was a measly $25,000, and it lacked the time and manpower to investigate its ostensible targets, Nazism and communism. So it reached ...
[48]
[PDF] The Dies Committee's Investigation of the Federal Theatre Project
Sep 18, 2025 · While the group undoubtedly had Communist ties, in specifically targeting those who ... Communism and the Federal Theatre,". Commonweal, Oct ...
[49]
BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, Voodoo Macbeth
Voodoo Macbeth. Drama on 4. by Sharon Oakes. Drama about the landmark 1936 theatrical production of Macbeth which confronted US segregation laws and launched ...Missing: inexperience script
[50]
Canada Lee: Actor, Trailblazer, Activist | The New York Public Library
Sep 8, 2015 · After dropping out of eighth grade to pursue a life as a jockey, Lee became disenchanted with his life so he took up professional boxing.
[51]
American Century keeps Voodoo Macbeth under wraps. Here's what ...
Mar 21, 2013 · The spectators were enthusiastic and noisy; they vocally encouraged Macbeth's soliloquies and clapped vigorously when the second act opened ...Missing: reduced spectacle
[52]
Theatre Review: 'Voodoo Macbeth' at American Century Theater
Mar 24, 2013 · Staged in Harlem in 1936 and featuring a huge cast of African, Haitian, and African-American performers, Welles re-imagined Shakesepeare's Dark ...Missing: rationale Black<|control11|><|separator|>
[53]
Ensemble Theatre's TheatreCLE to Present ALL THIS INTIMACY ...
Ensemble Theatre's TheatreCLE to Present ALL THIS INTIMACY, VOODOO MACBETH, LIZARD PLAY and More in 2013-14 ... First produced in 1963 starring Alec Guinness and ...
[54]
Voodoo Macbeth (2021) - IMDb
Rating 6.1/10 (138) In 1936 Harlem, the first all-Black cast production of 'Macbeth' struggles to make it to opening night amid the downward spiral of their young and untested ...
[55]
Voodoo Macbeth | Rotten Tomatoes
Rating 71% (14) Discover reviews, ratings, and trailers for Voodoo Macbeth on Rotten Tomatoes. Stay updated with critic and audience scores today!
[56]
'Voodoo Macbeth' Review: A Tiresome Curse - The New York Times
Oct 20, 2022 · A historical look back at Orson Welles's production of “Macbeth” with an all-Black cast in Harlem in the 1930s.