Writing “Macbeth-the Oppositional King”; an Interview with Gregory Bastien
By Steven LaVigne
The other play in Classics Lost ‘N’ Found Theatre’s “Heroes & Villains” duo is Gregory Bastien’s comedy, “Macbeth-the Oppositional King.” Wait a minute, there! “The Scots Tragedy” becomes “The Scots Comedy?” Let’s hear about it directly from this playwright!
The inspiration, according to Bastien, came about following CLFTC’s production of the Scottish play in December 2023. “I realized any tragedy could be a comedy with the proper alteration of character points. Each story deals with a conflict so how it’s resolved can be humorous or dolorous,” he said. Also, having directed Shakespeare’s tragedy, he found that the play had all the latitude he needed for a buddy and hen-pecked husband comedy. Bastien said that as the sequence of events formulate in his head, this leads him, from first scene to last, informing his routine for writing, however when writer’s block occurs it’s not possible to move from point to point. “Without concentrating on the exact dialogue it’s possible to accomplish a fair amount in a short time,” he told me. Still, a first draft for him seldom takes more than three hours. “Revisions and other ideas for dialogue happen over several weeks, even in rehearsal,” he said, letting things evolve and accepting input from his actors. Bastien also said that when revisions require changes in other parts of the script, this is a problem, but are usually caught after reading the script several times.
When asked if he outlines a project beforehand or writes spontaneously, he said that he writes down the conflict and outcome desired and then the sequencing is done spontaneously after making a mental map. He also said he assumes that those who’ve written papers, original stories and poems should do it the way he does (perhaps he’ll share more about this in future). Still, like many writers, Gregory Bastien makes similar mistakes when he writes, assuming that little needs to be changed and that it must be a masterpiece.
We’ll see just how these two plays fare as masterpieces when Classics Lost ‘N’ Found Theater Company presents “Heroes & Villains outside at Lake Nokomis Community Center, 2401 E. Minnehaha Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55417. Performances are free and audiences are advised to bring a blanket or lawn chair.
The show opens Friday, July 10 and continues July 11, 17 and 18 at 7pm with matinees July 11 and 18 at 2pm. (In case of rain, performances will be moved to Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church, 1620 E. 46th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55406). For further information phone 612-724-4539 or check the website, classicslostnfoundtheater.org.