Interview: Graham Burk, Director of Macbeth at the Lupin Theatre, New Orleans
Graham Burk, Director of Macbeth, playing at the Lupin Theatre as part of the annual New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane University
NEW ORLEANS THEATER
Interview: Graham Burk, Director of Macbeth @ The Lupin Theatre
Macbeth is this summer's production for the annual New Orleans Shakespeare Festival (see our first night review here). We asked director Graham Burk for a few insights in to the staging of one of theater's most famous plays.
Out All Day: What drew you to staging Macbeth now, and what's been your vision for this production?
Graham Burk: I think Macbeth feels incredibly timely because it's ultimately a call to action. It asks what happens when no one steps in to check an extreme pursuit of power.
Every director brings something fresh to a play this familiar. What is your general interpretation of the text in terms of themes?
For me, the central question is, "How do you react when you hear your fate?" The production explores the tension between fate, which is inevitable, and humanity's desperate need to control the uncontrollable.
How are you approaching the supernatural elements?
I don't see the witches as evil manipulators. I see them as the embodiment of fate. The supernatural isn't driving Macbeth's choices. It simply reveals a path, and Macbeth chooses to follow it.
Does the production reflect any New Orleans influences?
I think New Orleans has a unique relationship with the earth. It's a city that's constantly aware of the land beneath it and the forces of nature that shape it. That connection influenced the production, with the earth becoming a symbol of fate and the natural order, contrasted against humanity's impulse to control what ultimately can't be controlled.
How did you work with your cast on Shakespeare's language?
We focused on making the language active rather than poetic. Shakespeare wrote these plays to be spoken, so once actors understand what they're saying, why they're saying it, and the phrasing so the ear can process the language, the language becomes surprisingly accessible.
Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most debated characters. What's your read on her?
I think Lady Macbeth is often reduced to being simply ambitious, but she's much more complicated than that. She's deeply human, and the very qualities that make her capable of pushing Macbeth forward are ultimately what destroy her.
What were the biggest creative challenges this production threw at you?
Our stage is literally a pit of earth, with the witches emerging from it. It's been a challenge to keep safe and clean, but visually it's been worth it because the actors carve paths through the dirt, making fate feel like a physical force onstage.
Why does Macbeth keep calling directors back, and what is it saying to us right now?
Because it never stops asking urgent questions about power and responsibility. Right now, it reminds us that ambition without accountability can be devastating, and that every society has to decide who will stand up and stop it.
Thanks for your time, Graham, and all our best wishes for the rest of the run.
Macbeth plays at The Lupin Theatre at Tulane University as part of the 2026 New Orleans Shakespeare Festival. Click here for show information and ticketing.