“macbitches,” A Hilarious Exploration of the Drama of College Theater

Meet the veterans of the theater department in the world of “macbitches.” Lexi, a foul-mouthed senior played by Gemma Dean ’27, spits conversational daggers every time she speaks. This confrontational community-theater nepo baby specializes in destroying self-confidence in the name of honesty. Tahraji Milsap ’27 plays Cam, a witty junior who uses comedy as a personal safety blanket. Daphne Yeh Gilman ’30 plays Piper, an anxious, innocent senior still haunted by her sheltered upbringing. Andreea Haidau ’26 plays Rachel, the intense, dedicated senior who is usually cast in the lead. She is a master of condescension, wearing a veil of calculated confidence.

Hailey, played by Kaelyn Veltry ’30, is an ambitious and immature freshman who seems to have perpetual foot-in-mouth disease. She sets the events of the play into motion when, in her first semester as a college student, she is cast as Lady Macbeth, a leading role in the university’s production of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” This unexpected casting decision disrupts the well-established hierarchy of school theater productions. The envious upper-level students invite Hailey to a get-together, telling her that it is meant to be a celebration.

Throughout the evening, the girls respond to strategically placed conversational barbs with barely disguised humblebrags, and they expertly deflect resentful compliments. As the night spirals into chaos, the girls deconstruct their own understandings of their roles in the theater department, as well as their relationships with each other, culminating in brutal revelations of hypocrisy and betrayal.

Wisconsin-born and New York-based playwright Sophie McIntosh wrote “macbitches” in 2022. The play, as its name suggests, is loosely based on Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” As in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” McIntosh explores ambition, performances of gender roles, the conflict between appearances and reality, cruelty, and violence.

George Atkin ’28, the scenic designer and technical director for “macbitches,” and his crew transformed the Loeb Drama Center into a cozy college apartment, complete with a rug, couch, coffee table, coat tree, pink wallpaper, and posters from previous Harvard productions. The soft pink walls lull the viewer into a false sense of calm, while the common dorm furniture hints at the microcosmic nature of the play’s conflicts. There are even references to the supernatural elements of “Macbeth” within the set, with common college-related items, such as books, stools, red Solo cups, and a storage ottoman hanging from the ceiling in such a way that they appear to be floating.

This production’s lighting is similarly well thought out. The lighting motifs that extend throughout the play, such as subtle red during emotionally charged scenes and darkness during more unsettling moments, support the actors’ portrayals of complex feelings and add to the audience’s immersion. Lighting designer Jada Pisani Lee ’26 described her goals for designing a show’s lighting: she aims to “pick moments that feel more emotionally charged and assign certain lighting elements to those, and have those intensify throughout the show.”

While the play certainly hits its comedic marks well, the dramatic moments are far from neglected. “[The play] does a really good job of taking an archetype and still making an interesting character out of it,” said Yeh Gilman, who plays Piper. The characters are each quite complex, and the actors lean into those complexities, allowing the audience to more easily empathize with each character, even during their worst moments. This depth is evident in Yeh Gilman’s own character, Piper, who is defined largely by her calculations. Piper is the only member of the group who takes her shoes off inside her friend’s apartment, a quiet demonstration of her thoughtfulness; yet she is also a sneaky social climber who speaks up for her friends only when she knows her peers will respond well.

“[Piper] talks a lot about how much she loves theater, but also how she struggles to find her place within it, and that resonates really deeply with me,” said Yeh Gilman.

According to Milsap, while Cam’s wit has “gotten her the title of funniest bitch in the [theater] department,” she is far from comic relief. “She’s one of those people that learned to smile when she’s sad,” said Milsap, “there is a lot of pain there. I think that there’s a lot of things that she’s still working through.” Cam uses her masterful comedic timing to mask her sadness and isolation, feelings Milsap tries to embrace while acting. “Some of the things that I bring in are the tensions that I have sometimes experienced as a queer person in theater, and a queer Black person in theater,” she said.

Even Rachel, who reeks of inflated self-importance, offers speeches of encouragement and affirmation to her friends when they are plagued by growing insecurity. And while that affirmation might be performative, it still genuinely helps her friends feel better about themselves.

“A lot of the more negative feelings of the characters and the negative traits are the ones that I fell in love with the script for, because it doesn’t shy away from them,” said director Jocelyn Shek ’27. “Their angst and their envy are something that the show is not afraid to explore.” This exploration creates an uncomfortable relatability in each character.

“Something I really love about this show is that I truly see myself in all of the characters,” added Shek.

“I would say that for myself, and for many theater people, a lot of the experiences in macbitches will ring true,” said Yeh Gilman.

While the script will likely resonate with anyone who has been a member of a theater department, it also has many aspects that are relatable to Harvard students more broadly, even those who have never been involved in a stage production.

“It reminded me so much of everything that I’ve gone through in my time at Harvard,” explained Shek. “Relentless competition, you see that in every aspect of Harvard life.”

Shek said the play’s relatability matters, especially given its all-female cast. “I think it is really valuable to me to have a show that showcases the experiences of young women, and especially young women in college, doing something as wonderful but also as competitive as theater,” said Shek.

The show will take place at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., with showtimes on Oct. 8 through 10 at 7:30 p.m., and Oct. 10 and 11 at 2 p.m. Tickets are free, but they must be reserved in advance online because of the limited number of seats available.

Cat Johnson ’30 (catjohnson@college.harvard.edu) is comping the “Harvard Independent” and claims to have read “Macbeth.”