Discovering Lady M: An Interview with Actress Allison Minick

This interview was conducted by Kathia, a member of CSC's NextGen program. She has the opportunity to go behind the scenes of MACBETH, observe rehearsals and meet with cast members like Allison. Sound cool? It is!

Interested in becoming a NextGen member? Click here to find out how to apply for next season!


Meet Kathia, a member of CSC’s NextGen!

Name: Kathia

Grade: 11

Hobbies/Interests: I like the violin, piano, guitar, fashion, sports like volleyball and boxing, and drawing (surrealism). I love animals.

What aspects of theatre are you most interested in? I am interested in the design aspect and the acting.

What parts of the MACBETH rehearsal process are you most interested in telling other students about? Probably how good the plot is and how the actors make the play different. Also, I want to tell them how cool the costumes are, and how they will affect the play.

Kathia, interested in the strong female role of Lady Macbeth, was eager to ask Allison Minick, actress, a few questions about the character.

Allison Minick

How did you feel walking into this role? Did you do anything to prepare you for this? Did you do anything to help you become the best Lady Macbeth the earth has ever seen? I was so excited walking into this role! I love this play and this character! I made sure to get off book before we had to be memorized so that I wasn't worrying about remembering the words. I did a lot of in depth text analysis. I read a few different essays on the play, read different publications of the play, analyzed word choice, scansion, rhyme, imagery, etc. I did a lot of the more "studious" work first, so that once we got into rehearsal, I would know everything I could know from study and personal prep, and could just play and discover and explore on my feet and work with the others. I thought a lot about making things personal so that I could relate to her motivating factors, I focused on relationships (such as the love for my husband), and I explored her personal history so that I could empathize with her life and with her choices.

Who do you think is to blame for the tragedy? (Lady Macbeth, the witches/fate, Macbeth, the guards, Duncan... etc.) I think it's a combination of everyone. I don't think there's only one person to blame. Of course, Macbeth is the one who takes action and actually does the deed, but Lady M and the witches also have a strong hand in it. Their influence is extremely persuasive, so although I wouldn't say it's the witches of Lady M's fault, or ever say that Macbeth was a victim, they all hold deep responsibility, but just in varying degrees.

Allison, Lady M, in rehearsal.

How are you playing Lady Macbeth: sexy, bold, evil incarnate, funny, Machiavellian, psychotic, or other? What led to you to portray her this way? In a way I think she is all of those characteristics. I wanted to portray her as a human, and humans have most of those characteristics you mentioned (at least to some extent). I never want to play a character as a "villain" or an "evil person." I think she is often portrayed as an evil woman who is insane and manipulates men, which can be a bit misogynistic! Of course, she does and says evil and dark things and she's extremely flawed, but she's a real human being with intelligence, sexual drive, humor, insecurities, and confidence in public while having a mysterious private side. We rarely see her open up about how she's feeling because she's usually "on." She's playing the hostess or is working hard to accomplish an objective with her husband, etc. We rarely see her as who she truly is on more of a pure, vulnerable level. That side is definitely there, but is less open and exposed for the world to see. She's incredibly smart (but also makes mistakes), she's very sexy (and the language that she speaks reveals this), and she loves (and hates) deeply. I thought a lot about what her life must be like when Macbeth is away from battle. Her mind must be constantly stirring and scheming because, as a woman back then, she didn't have a 9-5 job, her husband was away and she never knew when he might be killed, so she was probably lonely and neurotic and volatile. Also, in my opinion, she deals with the loss of a child. I believe she's had a very traumatic, depressing past, but that she is still such a fighter and thinks towards the future. I think her ambition and her power over her husband and her sexual and emotional connection with her husband are the main things she has in her life. There's a desperation there. Even though she often seems very "in control" and brave, inside I think she knows a deep sadness and pain and that fuels her and causes her to throw her energy towards her husband and to the fight for the crown. She knows how to hide things very well.

Now after spending all of this time working on Lady Macbeth, do you see anything about Lady Macbeth in yourself?  I do. Of course, I'm not scheming for anything illegal and I'm not manipulative person, but I'm a human being too, just as she is, complete with goals, insecurities, flaws, mistakes, regrets, guilt, pain. She definitely has way more ambition and deception inherent in her. I work very hard and I have a lot that I want to do in my life, but in a much healthier, realistic way. Part of me is very outgoing and friendly and social, and the other part of me loves personal time to just have moments to myself and reflect. I love people and l love to get to know as many people as I can, but I also appreciate the quieter moments as well! So there's a side to me that many people don't see. Which I think is true for everyone! So I understand how she operates in public vs. private. And even though I haven't been through some of the things she has been though, I can imagine what it must be like and can empathize with her.