Written and directed by Linda Mussmann, this one-woman redux restaged the Shakespeare classic from the perspective of the enigmatic Lady M, as portrayed by Claudia Bruce. The implementation of simultaneous overhead projection, on-stage audio cassette decks, 8mm film, and live video playback, marked a technological shift in Mussmann’s craft. Lady M’s most dazzling aspirations and fears were given unique deconstructionist form in a piece described by theater scholar Elinor Fuchs as an “excursus on female power.”

This piece represents the first TSL production that was performed at the newly established location in the Time & Space Warehouse in Hudson NY, after moving from the TSL Storefront in NYC.

“It was the early 1990’s and the Women’s movement was flagging. We were bombing Baghdad…technology had made using video and audio more possible for me to use in my work—I was looking to find a way to make work with just Claudia and myself- since our funds had been cut drastically by the return of the National Endowment funds in 1989—it became increasingly more difficult for us to support a company–the solution was to make a piece for the 2 of us to perform and travel with–

Macbeth is one of my favorite plays–it was the first play I read in high school and remains my favorite. The adaptation that is my favorite is Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood with Toshiro Mifune– and here Lady M. is a Noh character—the opening of this movie is powerful and most scary–Mifune tearing through the woods on horseback….etc. etc.

My thinking about the play is that after Lady Macbeth is gone, the play turns into nothing but endless murder and slaughter–her character holds the play as a counter–without her Macbeth diminishes–she is the center–and after he is killed, the line that is important to me is ‘TIME IS FREE’”

– Linda Mussman