It was unbearably hot and stuffy in the small, shabby and cramped auditorium of the provincial theater. The hall, designed for a hundred people, somehow managed to hold three times as many. Spectators crowded in the aisle, sat on each other's laps, and the bravest of them even decided to sit on the edge of the stage.

The fact that the small traveling theater 'Soul' was deceived about the location of the performance and sold far more tickets than the hall could accommodate didn't bother the owner and director Garrett Hardcastle. He was more concerned about the action on stage. After all, today on this cramped stage there was the premiere of his new play based on the well-known 'Macbeth'.

The failures and troubles that befell the theater did not surprise anyone anymore. A year ago, it was as if some curse had befallen the troupe. From minor prop breakages to major scandals and mysterious disappearances of actors - failures followed the theater in literally every city where they stopped. All this hype provided loud headlines in the newspapers, and, therefore, increasing popularity of the theater troupe.

Garrett sat in the front row, not noticing the stuffiness and any discomfort. His eyes were glued to the stage, where the actors were embodying his idea. The director nervously bit his nail. Still, he was dissatisfied with the premiere. Something was missing, the production looked completely different from how Mr. Hardcastle imagined it in his head.

But, unexpectedly, during the third act, when Macbeth was raging near the throne on which Banquo's ghost was sitting, one of the candles standing on the table fell and set fire to the old wooden boards. Panic and crush began. Frightened spectators rushed to the exit, knocking each other down and turning over spectator chairs.

“Great! Amazing!” Garrett exclaimed enthusiastically, jumping up from his seat. Yes, this was it. Fire and chaos - this was exactly what he needed to convey the mental anguish of the legendary Macbeth.