pgMacbeth

=VERSION 2= MACBETH Written by William Shakespeare Directed by David Z. Saltz

The spring production of William Shakespeare’s //Macbeth// succeeded in providing the audience with a beautiful and cohesive aesthetic that contributed to making it an interesting rendition of a classic story. The artistic vision to infuse technology deeply into the on-stage action with elaborate off-stage preparation—so that things seemed to light-up or move by witchcraft— gave the audience a real connection to the eerie magic that surrounds Macbeth’s life in the text. Consistent with the organic-metallic look of the set, the costume design was both imaginative and fresh, creating a fantastic world with its own fashion. David Z. Saltz directed the actors with precision and his integration of technology with the actors was interesting. Most of the cast had a mediocre performance, and only the leading man was impressive at times (maybe because Macbeth has the most opportunity to be outstanding). His performance helped me connect with the sometimes perplexing words of Shakespeare; however, //Macbeth’s// character development was a confusing shift from cowardly to confident and bloodthirsty.

Scenic designer Rick Clark created a space that allowed the actors and director to maximize their performance and gave the audience a beautifully collage of metallic colors that matched the costumes and technology. The three moving pieces of the stage initially make a connection to the three witches at the beginning of the play—they each stand on one— and their rearrangement throughout the play sustain the witchcraft with which they are associated. Designed for utility as well, the rolling set allowed for rearrangement to signify the characters were in a different setting. By the end of the play, all three pieces of the set had been pushed so that they were hanging over the edge of the orchestra pit. This maneuver connected the audience with the plays most dramatic scene, like a close up in film. Having the three balconies on different levels was an effective technique to draw the audience’s attention to different areas of the stage—reminiscent of the painting rule of thirds. The earthy-metallic gold, silver, green, yellow, and copper that decorated the front of the three-part castle were a beautiful collage of dull colors that Rick Clark said “…represented the strength and power of Kings and Queens and Witches.” This metallic theme also successfully mirrored the usage of LED technology, so that, there was no dissimilarity between any visual aspect of the play.

Costume Design in //Macbeth// was an ambitious attempt to mimic the set design and LED lights by creating a unique fashion that was infused with technology. The costumes were imaginative and each character was unique. By incorporating things like kneepads on the male characters and plastic back braces on the outside of the women’s bodies, the costume designer transformed the 17th century aristocracy into futuristic beings. Ivan Ingermann says that he was trying “To make visible the concept of infection…” through the use of medical supplies. While during the play I was unaware that he was using medical supplies as a creative focus, I was impressed by how well such different costumes went together. The colors were for the most part dull—which matched the set. An exception is that by dressing Duncan’s attendants in all white habits, they gave Duncan a pure aura. The plastic pointy crown that Macbeth wears is another example of how the costumes were both futuristic and reminded the audience of the feudal setting. The incorporation of LED lights in the suits of the witches and Macbeth was important to Ingermann’s narrative of infection. In the opening scene when the witches predict that Macbeth will become Thane and then king, they all simultaneously light up green—a color associated with disease. Likewise, the costumes connected the actors to the LED screen.

As the person that planned the concept for //Macbeth//, David Z. Saltz, the director, was responsible for its creative success. Charged with the difficult task of making one of the most performed plays of all time new and interesting, he brought to life a new world for //Macbeth// to inhabit. The incorporation of the LED sheets to assist the action—showing the dagger that Macbeth envisions, projecting lines he says, or just providing a background of luminescent in various scenes—was the standout fixture of this play. For the most part, this fantastic gimmick worked flawlessly; however, there was a couple times when it was apparent the screen was not working right. These minor missteps are easily excusable and outweighed by the overall impressive and elaborate use of the LED in the play.

Saltz is also responsible for the direction of the actors. The style of acting was strong at parts; however, I did not agree with the development of some characters. For instance, the decision to make Macbeth a snarling lunatic—getting progressively worse as the play went on— emulated a magical infection taking over his mind. While I had never seen or heard of Macbeth being played in such an angry way, this style seems appropriate especially after the murder of Lady Macbeth. The only problem was that in the beginning of the play, Macbeth was portrayed as a coward, susceptible to his wife’s influence and at the end he was portrayed as an arrogant bloodthirsty lunatic. The disparity between the beginning of the play Macbeth and the end of the play Macbeth was too great and it seemed like they were two different people. This demonstrated a shaky vision for character development in the play.

The acting in the play was adequate and not outstanding for the most part. Dane Troy, playing Macbeth, had an inspired performance. Although Saltz may have given his character a strange direction, Troy successfully communicated the emotions of his character to the audience through his energetic movement and clearly defined emotion. His portrayal, particularly at the end as he became wilder, demonstrated the depth with which he could act Shakespeare’s protagonist. From the rest of the cast, no one stood out, though this was not necessarily a bad thing.