The Hanover Theatre Rep delivers riveting adaptation of 'Macbeth' at BrickBox Theater
“When our actions do not, our fears do make us traitors.” - William Shakespeare
Ancient Scotland comes to the BrickBox Theater in Worcester this October in the form of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" by THT Rep — and this latest adaptation for the stage is a riveting visual spectacle that never disappoints.
"Macbeth" is the iconic Shakespearean play that follows the rise and fall of a power-mad general in 11th-century Scotland.
The play looks at Macbeth (Alexander Platt) and his obsession to rule as King at any cost, leading to (spoiler alert!) his ultimate demise.
Three Witches (Cristiano Lourenço Jr., Anna MacInnis and Karen Richards) foreshadow the events of the play as they meet Macbeth near a battlefield prophesying about his future.
The collective performance of the Three Witches and that of the entire ensemble is relentlessly entertaining.
King Duncan of Scotland (Dale Place) praises Macbeth and Banquo (Robert Isaacson) for recent victories, assigning the title of "Thane of Cawdor" to Macbeth.
Little does Duncan suspect that this move will eventually lead to his own murder, as this was the first of the Witches' prophecies and now Macbeth subsequently plots his next move.
Lady Macbeth (Meri Stypinski), Macbeth's wife, learns of the Witches and their prophecies and maneuvers Macbeth into killing Duncan — even going so far as to put forth most of the necessary arrangements.
This mad co-dependency between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth yields nothing but mayhem. Actors Platt and Stypinski have a strong connection on stage, which lends itself well to the material.
Macbeth finds himself drowning in a whirlpool of turmoil as he becomes increasingly haunted, literally and figuratively, by apparitions — exemplifying the internal horror he feels by his own actions.
Macbeth cannot stop himself, though. He begins a reign filled with deeply disturbed paranoid delusions, multiple murders and an ongoing torment that weighs heavy on the crown, ultimately proving that absolute power corrupts absolutely.
As civil war erupts, Lady Macbeth goes mad and a Scottish noble named Macduff (Tokunbo Joshua Olumide) seeks revenge against Macbeth for atrocities committed against his family and his nation.
A tragic hero is a re-occurring element in Shakespeare but can Macbeth really be considered a "hero?"
Neither Macbeth nor Lady Macbeth are sympathetic characters as they are the ones who inflict pain and suffering on nearly every person who crosses their mutual path.
THT Rep’s artistic director, Livy Scanlon, staged "Macbeth" to be compelling from the outset, resulting in not one wasted moment of time during the show's two-hour run.
There is also no wasted space in the blocking, as the entire BrickBox Theater space is used to full advantage with exemplary results. The set was kept minimalist, which helped in scene transitions.
Fight choreographer Robert St. Laurence has provided the show with numerous exciting action sequences, which are well executed by the cast.
The post-modern avant-garde costuming choices were a bit disarming as the theme seemed to vary from a little bit of "Steampunk" influence to clothing reminiscent of Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" to a smidgen of "Scottish bondage clothing store clearance sale."
All that said, and for some strange reason, the above choices totally worked for this production.
The opening of the THT Rep at the BrickBox Theater was impacted by the pandemic but they seem to be fast making up for any lost time with ongoing high-caliber productions.
While not prophesying, "Macbeth" might very well be a perfect foreshadowing of quality productions Worcester can hopefully look forward to in the foreseeable future. Only the Three Witches might know for sure.
The show is approximately two hours, with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association.
'Macbeth'
3½ stars
Presented by The Hanover Theatre Rep. Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Livy Scanlon; associate director Dr. Kathryn Moncrief; fight choreographer Robert St. Laurence.
Performances: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5,13; 8 p.m. Oct. 7, 8, 14, 15; 2 p.m. Oct. 15. BrickBox Theater at the Jean McDonough Arts Center, 20 Franklin St., Worcester. Visit https://thehanovertheatre.org or call (508) 413-5622.
Cast includes Cristiano Lourenço, Anna MacInnis, Karen Richards, Dale Place, Prreeti Tiwari, Robert St. Laurence, Yahya Jingo, Joe Penczak, Robert Isaacson, Alexander Platt, Meri Stypinski, Amie Lytle, Hunter Shook, Tokunbo Joshua Olumide, Cameron Ward, Matthew Johnson, Nick Baker, MarHadoo Effeh, Kyle Hargrove.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Hanover Theatre Rep delivers riveting 'Macbeth' at BrickBox Theater
