In advance of their recently announced and newly revamped 2021 season, the Stratford Festival has decided to give theatre lovers some weekly works to look forward to. Streaming live on Thursday nights, the beloved Ontario Shakespeare and theatre festival is presenting offerings from their STRATFEST@HOME program for free. Using a similar model to the lauded National Theatre At Home that began last year, these snippets of the STRATFEST@HOME programming are a tantalizing preview of what the company has available. Their most recent presentation was none other than the play that must not be named- Macbeth.

A recorded experience from Stratford’s 2016 production of Macbeth, the production was directed by Stratford artistic director Antoni Cimolino, Shelagh O’Brien directing this filmed version. Ian Lake plays the titular would-be King of Scotland with Krystin Pellerin playing opposite him as Lady Macbeth, and the two work in potent juxtaposition. From the moment Lady Macbeth hears news of her husband’s plans and possible future, the intensity Pellerin conjures in that desire is so palpable and rooted in self-assured strength. And in gorgeous contrast, a tortured conflict can be felt underpinning Lake’s performance as he enacts his woeful plans and comes to terms with the ramifications. An integral part of the tragic protagonist and the bubbling of it throughout makes his downfall all the more disheartening.

The visual strength alone of this Shakespearean tragedy makes a resounding first impression. Utilizing lighting design to an intense and ensnaring effect, this production gives immense weight to the opening of the Weird Sisters. Truly cloaked in darkness at their emergence, there is a horrifying stillness to the world as they present themselves for the first time, weighing what we see for the rest of the run against the powerful gloom. Lanise Antoine Shelley, Deidre Gillard-Rowlings, and Brigit Wilson perform the prophetic witches masterfully, the sound and visual elements of the production not only enhancing their rituals but leaving what feels like echoes of these influential forces across all the play’s action.

Ian Lake as Macbeth in Macbeth. Photography by David Hou.

It is not solely in the inception of the story and the revelling of the Weird Sisters that light is used to profound effect. Rather, it is not the light that feels used, but the lack thereof. The flames of this world feel tightly wrapped by the nearby shadows, always in danger of being choked out, and the first time we see much of any light at all is to surround and draw eyes to the empty, awaiting throne. This general sense of scarce light as well as its deliberate uses at heightened moments—the cauldron of the Weird Sisters, the brutally fast-paced and sharply framed sword fights, Macbeth and Macduff being swallowed by shadow in the climax—seems like a strong thematic choice in this story of falling stars.

While the majority of the footage is shot in fairly standard stage-to-screen methods, there are certainly some interesting uses of the changed medium in this project. Most notably, in the inaugural celebration of Macbeth’s crowning, the reveal of Banquo’s spectre is delivered in a dramatic POV shot. The gruesome visage of the slaughtered ally stood amongst the guests all facing towards the camera makes for a shocking and effective use of the medium and is a good indicator that other digital offerings from Stratford will have the same edge to their delivery.

Stratford’s Macbeth is a traditional presentation of the classic play, but it is a skilled execution of this classic. An attention to the core emotions that run beneath this tale of power is always at the surface, reminding of the humanity that exists within the prose. It is a strong offering by the Shakespearean icons, and luckily with STRATFEST@HOME, there’s more where that came from.

It has been made abundantly clear that the digital realm is now intrinsically tied to the economies of the world. With the ever-valuable status of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies still aloft and the vastly growing interest in NFTs, the digital economy is also making firm ties to the world of art. So it comes as no surprise that major art brokers and institutions would want to open their doors to these ever-growing avenues of finance, and Sotheby’s accepting cryptocurrency for an upcoming auction of a Banksy is a clear sign of these changing times.

The piece up for auction is Banksy’s Love is in the Air (2005), an iconic work by the anonymous artist, depicting a masked rioter standing poised to lob a bouquet of flowers. This particular iteration is oil and spray paint on canvas, the colourful hand-painted bouquet unique to it. It’s perhaps the image most synonymous with Banksy, even being used as the cover for his book Wall and Piece and reproduced constantly worldwide. Not only does it capture the artist’s signature skewing of contextual presumptions and wit, but it also brims with the hopeful and active energy for positive change that seems to drive so much of Banksy’s career.

Sotheby’s announced that through a partnership with Coinbase Commerce, a cryptocurrency transaction facilitator, they would be accepting bitcoin or ether for the hammer price on this piece. It is the first time that, not only Sotheby’s, but any major auction house, has accepted cryptocurrencies for an auction. Although they have only stated this allowance for this particular auction, with trends as they are, there is a good chance cryptocurrency will find a regular place within Sotheby’s. And as NFTs are still just beginning their rise it likely won’t be long before other major institutions follow suit.

The auctioning of Love is in the Air as well as Sotheby’s accepting cryptocurrency for it comes on the heels of the recent Burnt Banksy incident, in which the titular group destroyed the physical copy of I can’t believe you morons actually buy this shit in order to increase the value of the piece’s NFT. There certainly seems to be an air of awareness to Sotheby’s choosing this piece as its first auction with cryptocurrencies, and without a doubt, there will be an appeal for this auction to such NFT enthusiasts. 

Sotheby’s accepting cryptocurrency in a lot of ways feels like an inevitability. Bitcoin has held steady over the past decade and is likely in the digital pockets of many who can afford to hang a Banksy in their home. NFTs have had a much more streamlined path with the vast success cryptocurrency has had, and the two seem poised to take a long seat at the upper echelon of art trading. But for now, at least, there is still some desire for buyers to walk away with a physical work of art.

Every passing year, artistic institutions are taking steps to be more inclusive organizations with more representative teams. Theatre companies have slowly begun to answer the call from communities to move beyond the norm of overwhelmingly white and male-dominated leadership roles. And while it is certainly an ongoing process, there are always groups springing up to empower and foster opportunities for those who wish to see these positive changes put forth. The latest such group that seeks to change the system of American theatre is The Theatre Leadership Project, which plans to give black theatre workers the leadership opportunities they deserve.

Based out of New York, The Theatre Leadership Project is a new initiative that “seeks to create lasting change in the American Theatre by installing BIPOC leadership in the industry.” The pilot program of TTLP is focused on establishing black theatre creatives in production and management roles with companies throughout the city, partnering with black-led businesses to support the fund. Despite Broadway and New York at large serving as a sort of theatre mecca, there still is notable lack of BIPOC voices- which is what the TTLP aims to change for the long-term.

“The Project is a new alliance between industry leaders in entertainment and Broadway commercial producers in support of a three-year pilot program for new, emerging, and transitioning professionals,” their mission statement reads.”Whilst the fund is committed to the support of BIPOC leadership, the initial pilot program will focus on Black applicants due to the extremity to which they are excluded.”

TTLP is currently preparing for two programs: one for creative producers and one for general/company management. Both programs have a three-year plan, detailing the move from mentorship and learning to job placement. Connecting practitioners to prominent resources within the New York theatre world, the programs appear to contain both practical and personalized drive to have successful applicants find their paths. And with no strictures on educational background or commercial experience, TTLP is also pushing back against the classist barriers that professional theatre has long been filled with.

The founders of The Theatre Leadership Project include Travis Lemont Ballenger and Barbara Broccoli, among others, as well as an advisory council that includes legendary performer Whoopi Goldberg. The primary partners of the project are Black Theatre Coalition- a group aiming to “to remove the ‘ILLUSION OF INCLUSION’ in the American Theatre”- and The Prince Fellowship- a fund that supports “gifted emerging creative theatrical producers”. With such a wealth of experience and drive at the back of TTLP, it seems well on track to start creating the changes that the community needs.

The Theatre Leadership Project is one of many groups that desire to see progress in theatre communities the world over. And the more we learn, the more we understand how deep these institutional problems run- racism, sexism, ableism, and various forms of abuse have been allowed to guide the path of many major theatres since their inception. But the leaders behind TTLP have already put a strong foot forward with the announcement of their project, and the steps they take next are surely going to move New York forward, closer to that lasting change.