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UGA’s production of Macbeth is unlike any adaptation of Shakespearian theatre that I have ever seen. This has most definitely been my first experience seeing a show with such a technological involvement. While the interpretation of the show was very novel and expressive, certain elements did not read as well as intended to the audience. Other aspects of the show however, were very fluid and allowed for a well done production.

The scene design was simplistic but fit the show’s overall design well. The set was made up of three large, relatively uniform pieces containing a balcony, raised platform, and two staircases. The staircases had a unique, graphic, almost futuristic quality, but allowed for each individual rectangular set piece to move forwards and backwards. When the scene called for a different location, rather than investing time and money in building different sets, the set designer allowed for a fairly uniform design that would give the audience the ability to imagine the location of each character interaction, without requiring much detail (such as trees or furniture). The show was decided to be set in medieval Scotland, maintaining to Shakespeare’s traditional writing. As a result, the three set pieces could be interpreted to look as a unique, graphic version of a castle for much of the play. Despite the attractiveness of the set, there were some fallbacks to its design. Due to being mostly made up on raised platforms against a wall-like structure, actors sometimes made noisy, “hollow wood” noises when walking during blackouts. During one scene change when techs come on stage to bring on and take off a large dining table, the noises were impossible to miss and took the audience out of the moment of the show. In addition, some of the doorways did not close easily and were distracting to the audience.

Lighting and media design was a major innovative component to the production. The lighting designer mentions cool color use with the exception of red to represent the blood and guilt after the murders. Personally, I did not notice this, with the exception of the eery green color of the witches’ LED lit costumes and the green LEDs in other costumes to represent the spread of their evil. The witches’ evil intent was made very clear throughout the entirety of the show through the use of these green lights, making obvious how they spread what is described in the program as an evil “infection” or “poison” amongst and between those who are receptive to their powers. When reading Macbeth in high school, I did not think of how involved the witches may be portrayed in a staged setting. The lighting allowed for good use of shadow and silhouettes, maintaining a spooky feel throughout the show. Large drapes of LED were hoisted onto and off stage through the use of a fly system. They were also able to show the witches’ powers in conjuring (during the cauldron scene and dining scene) and infection (when Lady Macbeth reads the letter). The media designers clearly worked hard to ensure that the animated words, dagger, and ghostly face would appear and move without a hitch, however, during the Friday production, parts of letters did not appear and the ghostly face was far too large for how close I was sitting to the stage. Had I been sitting further back in the house, I think I would have appreciated the lighting effects more, but because I was so close, I was often frustrated with seeing only dots of light as opposed to a face or other graphic. Should a similar use of LEDs be used in future productions, they should be used on a smaller scale to ensure that everything can be done without any technical difficulties.

The costume design was visually stimulating. I paid particular attention to how the costumes might have been built and imagined from the beginning of the show. Light emphasis was placed on the period the show was intended to be portrayed in (medieval Scotland), though this was not harped upon. In the program, the costumes explain the use of braces and other medical devices as armor, which was made very clear from the beginning as male characters appear to be in suits of armor. However, the medical devices are also described as being intended to continue emphasizing the spread of evil as an infection or disease, against which the armor might symbolically protect. I would not have drawn this conclusion immediately, but looking back on the show, I am impressed with how the designers all collaborated to make the “infection” theme carry throughout the production with general fluidity. Greys and creams created a muted color palette that the costumes stayed to throughout the show, bringing attention to the bright colors of the LED lights. While I liked the novelty of the LEDs, several times during the show, actors’ costumes would accidentally begin blinking the green LEDs when it was not their time to be on. The actors tried their best to hide the light with their hands or costumes, but it was still very noticeable and contradictory to the overall flow of what the lights were to symbolize. I believe this is a technicality that could have been avoided had they been used throughout the rehearsal process extensively, but I suspect they had not been perfected before showtime.

Sound and music’s power could not have been avoided, beginning with the time the audience enters the theatre. Low droning and percussive rhythms were played throughout the house as it filled, bringing an initial suspicious and ominous tone to the show. Sustained tones combined with these rhythms throughout the show created the “feeling” of a heartbeat at times when actors would become “infected” with the witches’ power and also brought an evil and archaicness to the magic of the show. The droning tones also created a sense of mystery or unavoidable maliciousness that could draw the audience in without the audience necessarily realizing it.

The acting was exquisite amongst some actors, while it was unconvincing from others. Some actors appeared to be forcing their emotions during particularly sorrowful scenes and put off some audience members. Other actors who played characters such as Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and the witches were very convincing throughout the entirety of the show. It was clear that they had done their background research on what Shakespeare was trying to convey through the characters and took direction well during the rehearsal process. It was difficult to hear or understand everything what some of the actors said during the performance, as can be predicted given the difficulty of Shakespearian drama, however, had the actors prepared their inner monologues and derived their motives a little more clearly to themselves, they could have perhaps allowed the audience to also understand their characters.

Overall, I enjoyed the show. The direction, blocking, acting, and set design were done well, though everything in the show could have been tweaked a little to achieve perfection. Technicalities such as the choreographed fight scenes, LED lights, and media presentations were novel for the audience’s viewing, but could have also been perfected as slight mistakes took away from the overall show and were distracting. Music, sound, and costuming were high points of the production for me that I particularly enjoyed and was wowed by. University Theatre has made great strides in their productions this year, but has also made several mistakes that can be learned from in the future.