Lady Macbeth in America

Lady Macbeth has haunted American history since the conflicts of Shakespeare’s England spilled over into New England’s real witch hunts. To reveal how Lady Macbeth entered American politics as an icon for the First Lady, this investigation focuses on the prominent actresses in the role, how they performed, and their effect on audiences anxious about the country’s First Lady and her influence over the President—especially at times of war. Smith ably shows how the various Lady Macbeths have both reflected and shaped the image their contemporaries have of the ambitious political wife, producing parallels that converge dramatically in twentieth-century “witch hunts.”

Gay Smith is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Theater at Wesleyan University. She is the author of seminal books on George Sand’s theatre career and has worked professionally as a dramaturg for over thirty years, with the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, Denver Performing Arts Center, Padua Hills Playwrights in Los Angeles, and 7-Devils in McCall, Idaho. She is currently working on an anthology entitled Irish Plays and Politics.