Louisa Proske made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera earlier this month, directing a new production of Verdi’s *Macbeth* to open the 2026 season. The appointment marked a significant milestone for Proske, who co-founded the experimental company Heartbeat Opera in 2014 and had previously worked primarily in smaller, more avant-garde settings.
Proske was confirmed as director less than a year before the production’s premiere on September 22, stepping in after the original director withdrew. Typically, Met productions are planned years in advance, but general manager Peter Gelb identified Proske—known for her inventive and resourceful approach at Heartbeat—as a suitable candidate capable of meeting the compressed schedule. “In terms of who was available on relatively short notice, Louisa was an obvious choice,” Gelb said.
Drawing on her deep familiarity with *Macbeth*—she wrote her university thesis on the Shakespeare play—Proske assembled a creative team that included costume designer Montana Levi Blanco, set designer Jon Bausor, and choreographer Jorrell Lawyer-Jefferson, all of whom brought prior Met experience. The cast features baritone Quinn Kelsey in the title role, soprano Lise Davidsen as Lady Macbeth, tenor Freddie De Tommaso as Macduff, and bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green as Banquo. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the orchestra and chorus. The production is scheduled for 10 performances, including a live broadcast to cinemas worldwide on October 17.
Proske describes the opera as a “terrifying tale for terrifying times,” focusing on themes of unchecked ambition, societal collapse, and the descent into tyranny. She highlights the continuing relevance of *Macbeth*’s narrative, noting it captures “the agony of living in times that you don’t really understand anymore.” Her interpretation foregrounds the witches as “greedy voyeurs” who gradually invade the space as the Macbeths spiral into crime and violence.
The set design by Bausor evokes a contemporary, war-ravaged environment featuring a concrete wall with a blasted hole, rubble scattered around, and a rotating platform representing scenes from the castle and battlefield. Blanco’s costumes, meanwhile, reference Renaissance England with opulent robes and gowns, emphasizing the visual symbolism of power.
Despite working on a larger scale, Proske intends to maintain the inventive and intense storytelling spirit that characterized her years at Heartbeat Opera. After leaving the company in 2021, she spent several seasons at Oper Halle in Germany and has since directed productions across Europe and the United States.
Heartbeat Opera’s artistic director Jacob Ashworth expressed pride in Proske’s advancement to the Met, dismissing any notion that the company views such a move as a betrayal. He pointed to the dynamic relationship between smaller and larger opera institutions, noting that innovative ideas often emerge from grassroots organizations and eventually influence established venues.
*Macbeth* at the Met has been widely anticipated as a bold reinterpretation of a classic work, blending Shakespearean tragedy with contemporary resonance and showcasing a director whose career trajectory exemplifies the evolving landscape of opera production today.