MacBeth

Double, double, toil and trouble…

Something wicked this way comes.

Just in time for the season, Capital Stage has opened a powerful new production of Shakespeare’s classic Halloween special, “Macbeth,” with original adapted script by Capital Stage. (Of course, I don’t think Shakespeare intended it to be a Halloween special, but with witches and all that blood, what could possibly be better for the season?)

This study of a descent into madness — brought on by greed and ambition and fueled by a few murders and lots of blood dripping onto the stage — is directed by Stephanie Gularte.

The setting for this show is described a “a homeland, 13 years after a devastating global war,” so guessing the approximate year is useless, but the costumes (by Rachel Malin) probably could be found at some survivalist store today (though apparently in this global war, all weapons of mass destruction have disappeared, since all weapons in this production are swords and daggers).

Gularte has a superb cast headed by the Bryan Cranston look-alike Scott Coopwood, as the title character. It took a bit mental adjustment not to see Coopwood as the “Breaking Bad” anti-hero, Walter White, playing the role.

Coopwood’s performance was extremely powerful throughout which, in spots, may have worked against him, as some nuance seemed to be lost in the performance. His angst over the prospect of killing of the affable King Duncan (Harry Harris) was less understandable in such a powerful, ambitious character, though his later descent into madness as his power-hungry killing spree begins to weigh heavily on his soul was decidedly believable.

Janis Stevens gives it her all as Lady Macbeth. She can be as heartlessly cruel toward her enemies as she can be lustily passionate with her husband. It was a shame that her soliloquy is truncated in this production. (I missed all the perfumes of Arabia.) This Lady Macbeth is more violent than we have come to expect, as it is she who joins with other assassins to kill Macduff’s (Shaun Carroll) pregnant wife (Jessica Chisum) and it is that death about which Lady Macbeth soliloquizes, not the death of the King. (“Who would have thought the woman to have had so much blood in her.”)

A bit of miscasting was Chisum’s second gender-bending role, that of Macbeth’s general, Banquo. While Chisum gave a good performance as the scrappy young woman, fighting at Macbeth’s side, it stretched credibility to think that this young woman’s children would be a threat to Macbeth, as prophesied by the three witches (called “dark figures” in this production).

She would first have to hang up her sword, start dating, find a nice young chap, settle down to domestic bliss and start popping out babies. The threat from Banquo would have been more believable had she been a man, possibly with a family at home.

The three dark figures were a major mistake. They were distorted, amorphous figures whose voices were so digitized that it was almost impossible to understand them and, in the final scenes, they lost the digitization so that their voices were so muffled by their head gear that it was even more difficult to understand them.

Their dialog was also truncated so that the story they tell, which dictates the direction of the play, was difficult to follow. I also missed the recipe for the witches’ brew (eye of newt and all that), surely a grisly desired inclusion in a Halloween show!

Dan Fagan, as King Duncan’s son Malcolm, wore the mantle of “king” well, following the death of Macbeth (an act so shocking it should satisfy the most blood-thirsty audience member, and did cause a few audience gasps when it occurred).

Jonathan Williams is credited for fight choreography, and has created very convincing battles. That they could be so convincing in such a small area, so close to the audience, speaks volumes about Williams’ credentials.

Malin’s costumes were appropriate to the post-apocalyptic period, but there were a couple of standouts, particularly a beautifully draped jacket for Lady Macbeth.

If you’re looking for blood and gore this Halloween, this is definitely the shop for it.

MacBeth (review)

It's one thing to put on an outdoor production on a mid-summer night's evening, surrounded by tall redwood trees and warm breezes, with the audience sitting on folding chairs.

It's quite another thing to put on an outdoor production as winter approaches, when the audience must sit on hard, cold, uncomfortable concrete steps. For three hours.

Under those circumstances, not even a performance by Lawrence Olivier could make the evening entirely pleasant.

Studio 301's production of 'Macbeth' opened last weekend at the 'Deathstar,' otherwise known as the courtyard of the Social Sciences and Humanities building, across the road from the ATMs at the Memorial Union. The company provided blankets for those who had not thought to bring them, but even that wasn't enough.

I don't know when I've been so uncomfortable at a theatrical production, although I was bundled up and had brought both a blanket and a pillow to sit on.

Despite the cold and discomfort, this 'Macbeth' is a good production, with some very good performances, some nice effects and a few bizarre things.

And, truth to tell, if we wanted to experience the ambiance of a 17th century Scottish castle, I suppose sitting and shivering in the Deathstar was the best way to do it!

Directors Gia Battista and Steph Hankinson describe their play, in the program notes, as 'a call for awareness. We are living in a post-modern time, but we do not know if we have already reached the beginning of the end, if evil has already corrupted our society. This play is a spectacle, warning of what we are possibly heading toward.

'The way we present this 'horrible imagining' is by offering a sickeningly beautiful aesthetic. The hard lines of the building are juxtaposed with soft fabric, flowing movements with staccato fights.'

The action begins with the meeting of the three witches, 'the embodiment of the play's theme.' These witches - Andrea Guidry, Lauren Cole Norton and Ashley Bargenquast - are unlike witches you may have seen in other productions of 'The Scottish Play.'

For one thing, they're on stage throughout the entire play: perched high above the courtyard, reacting to - perhaps guiding? - the actions below. But their spasmodic, jerky movements take a lot of getting used to. The directors explain that this was inspired by a Japanese movement style called butoh, a style created to express the trauma of war, taboo social topics and darkness within the human spirit.

The decision to present the play in ambiguous modern dress, giving no indication as to the era, leaves the viewer to decide whether this is today, some time in the recent past, or perhaps some time in the future.

Costume designer Kate Walton, assisted by Julie Asperger, pulled the costumes together beautifully. Black is the dominant color, with brilliant red accents for Macbeth, starting slowly with red stripes on his shoes, then a red shirt for battle. Lady Macbeth's striking red evening gown is a perfect contrast to the black of those around her.

Kevin Ganger plays Macbeth, the anguished general of the Scottish army, whose blind ambition - aided by his treacherous wife (Cody Messick) - drives him to murder the good queen (Sarah Cohen). This is a tough role to pull off, because of the intensity of Macbeth's anger, fear and sorrow. The role could easily be overly dramatized, but Ganger plays it with controlled intensity.

The sweetness of Messick's appearance is quickly revealed as a facade, as we watch her goad Macbeth into the murder of the queen, and then succumb to madness as guilt over their actions begin to haunt her.

Cohen gives the queen a genuine sense of nobility. We see instantly that she is beloved by her subjects, which makes her eventual murder all the more tragic. Cohen later appears as Hecate, and brings the same kind of nobility (albeit negative) to the character of the head witch.

Michael Lutheran gives an intense performance as Macduff, particularly when he learns of his family's murder. Brother David Lutheran brings a note of lightness to his outstanding physical comedic role as the porter. Although a small role, he owns it.

Kris Ide's performance as the noble Banquo is good, but perhaps even better as he joins the witches and creates the specter of his own ghost, seen only by Macbeth.

A lot of blood was spilled in the Deathstar, as everyone who dies does so with an impressive display of blood. That said, the character who got stabbed on the right side and bled on the left side stretched credulity a bit.

All told, though, this 'Macbeth' is very good. I just wish it hadn't been so darn cold!

MacBeth (feature article)

In the normal course of events, a director decides on a show, then works with a set designer to bring this vision of the production to life.

For those who work on a university campus, things can be much easier.

Studio 301, a student-run drama organization, produced 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' last year. Rather than find and decorate a stage, the company mounted the production in the Arboretum: an actual forest for the play's forest setting.

Such decisions cut production costs considerably.

This year, directors Stephanie Hankinson and Gia Batista knew they wanted to direct 'a' play, but weren't sure which one. An idea began to form when they started looking around the UC Davis Social Sciences and Humanities Building. It's commonly known as the 'Death Star' because of its outwardly shiny metallic appearance, as well as the fact that architecturally it's such a maze.

The glassed-in catwalk between the two center wings just begs for a lightsaber duel.

Hankinson and Batista didn't see outer space; they saw a castle, and immediately decided that Studio 301's next production should be 'Macbeth.' They're using the entire building, placing the witches on a balcony overlooking the action throughout the play, and employing the tower for sword fights.

The tall concrete walls are excellent screens for special effects, and corridors that lead off the main 'stage' area are ideal for echo-y sounds of horror.

Curtain times are 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 6 p.m. Sunday; 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, Nov. 18-21; and 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22.

The suggested donation at the gate will be $10 general, $9 students. For additional information, call (818) 251-6654.

Michael Lutheran, who plays MacDuff, is delighted with the location. He feels that it both works beautifully as a castle, and also conveys Macbeth's descent into madness.

'This building is so confusing, people get lost in it all the time,' Lutheran said, 'so it kind of represents Macbeth's state of mind.'

Setting a play 'in' an outside venue that is part of a working university building presents interesting situations.

'We get people passing through all the time,' Lutheran laughed. 'We'll be in the middle of an intense scene or sword fight, and all of a sudden a class gets out and we have to hold.'

Cawing crows fly overhead at dusk, and the sound of campus bells must be dealt with. The directors don't feel these will be serious problems; they may, in fact, add to the ambiance.

The production also worked with instructors skilled in the Asian hakido style of combat, which should add an extra layer of excitement to the fight scenes.

Cody Messick is finding it a challenge to play Lady Macbeth.

'I've grown up with Shakespeare, because my dad has been the artistic director of the Kern County Shakespeare Festival for 25 years. But I'm usually cast as the sort of sweeter, straight character, so it's different and really challenging to play such an evil character.'

Even bad characters have their good side, though, Messick believes.

'I'm trying to find sympathy and the humanity in this woman, who really is hard to relate to, because she gives herself over to evil. She devotes herself to this murder and all this horrible stuff, but it's beautiful to try to find those places that actually come from pain, and a deep love for her husband.'

Sarah Cohen, who cut her teeth on Shakespeare back in 1994, when she played Antonio in Acme Theater's 'Twelfth Night,' is playing Duncan. The directors felt that making the ruler a woman adds another layer to the production.

'It actually makes it interesting, killing a queen, because it would be Lady Macbeth who would be the next queen,' Batista said.

'And Lady Macbeth actually incites the murder,' Hankinson added, 'so what does it mean to kill a queen, if she's going to be queen next?'

Cohen, who jokes that playing a queen fits her body type better than playing the role of a king, graduated from MIT in 2000 and returned to Davis to direct a Shakespeare play. She has remained on campus ever since, working in Disability Services.

Hankinson feels that this is one of the many good things about Studio 301: It welcomes alumni and faculty, as well as students.

'We have a really wide array: two majors, several minors in theater and people who have graduated from the theater department. It's a pretty good mix.'

Studio 301 has been around, in different forms, for about 15 years. It started in Sacramento as an independent theater company, with a couple of Davis students involved. More Davis folks got involved, and eventually the group moved to the UCD campus and was 'legitimized' by the powers that be.

These days, Studio 301 is a UC Davis club and is run completely by students.

'We do all our fundraising,' Hankinson said.

The group has been on campus for 12 years, with a few breaks here and there.

'Now we have a couple of really solid years under our belts, and I think it can be maintained,' Hankinson said.

While watching these actors rehearse, I note a high degree of energy and enthusiasm. This should bode well for a good production.

Macbeth

Many things can be praised about the Acme Theatre Company's production of "Macbeth," which continues through Friday at the Veterans' Memorial Theater.

Unfortunately, the ticketing system is not one of them. Customers were lined up out to the street prior to Saturday evening's performance, causing the curtain to be held at least 15 minutes. A separate line for "will call" might cut the congestion a bit.

Once inside the theater, though, I found little about which to complain.

Patrons are seated on the stage, rather than in the audience; this significantly reduces the number of seats, and thus results in a sold-out house and a more intimate setting for the play.

The stark set design is by John Ramos, based on a concept by Hannah May and Danielle Wogulis. It's a simple gray set, with painted darker gray tree branches on the floor, and matching blocks that are moved around to indicate various settings. A pipe ladder arrangement hangs on either side of the stage; this is used by the three witches, who remain on stage throughout most of the play.

The total effect is perfect, and well complemented by Hope Raymond's costume design, also in a gray theme. The red accents for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth — down to Lady Macbeth's ruby slippers — are a perfect indicator of the bloody story to follow.

(It's fairly safe to say that none of the characters in this Shakespeare tragedy "lives happily ever after.")

Kate McFarland's dramatic lighting design adds much to the atmosphere.

Director Emily Henderson guides a first-rate cast, starting with John Ramos, who is outstanding in the title role. He's strong and takes command of the stage, yet his descent into madness — as his power-hungry killing spree begins to weigh heavily on his soul — is quite effective.

His relationship with his wife (Delany Pelz) is passionate and believable. Pelz's diminutive stature and sweet face might cause one to doubt her ability to portray the cold-hearted Lady Macbeth, but this character can be as heartlessly cruel toward her enemies as she can be lustily passionate with her husband.

In a gender-bending switch from the traditional, the three witches are played by Geoffrey Albrecht, Torin Lusebrink and David Conard. These "witches" are more evil sprites, dressed all in gray, with flowing capes and body painting to match the set. Lusebrink added something to make his tongue and lips ruby red, which makes the lizard-like movements of the former that much more evil.

It's a different look at the witches, and sometimes goes a bit overboard, but it's definitely unique and memorable. (A little more dry ice in the witches' pot is recommended.)

Others in the cast are equally memorable. Sean Olivares is quite good as Banquo, although his later return as Mentieth is a bit disconcerting, since nothing is done to change his appearance following his "death."

Likewise, a bit of a different look would help Alex Kravitz's dual roles of Duncan and the Porter.

Kate McFarland is a noble Macduff, and Vivian Breckenridge is strong and self-assured as she strides the stage as Malcolm. Hope Raymond is a beautiful Lady Macduff, very earnest in her expressions of concern for her husband and child.

David Chandler is listed as fight choreographer, and the play does feature some excellent sword fighting. Unfortunately, older children in the audience found it funny, and their giggling distracted the rest of us from the actual plot. But the cast gets high marks not only for the execution of the sword fighting, but also for the application of blood streaks on bodies while on stage, unobserved by the audience.

Acme has another winner with its production of this Shakespeare classic.

But do allow plenty of time to get through the ticket line, even if your tickets are confirmed.

The Scottish Play

From its very first performance, several strange events have plagued Shakespeare's famous yet short play, Macbeth, a play that was supposedly written to please King James. It is said that practitioners of the black magic ritual depicted in Act 2 took exception to the exposure of their witchcraft and cast a spell on the play. There are instances of terrible consequences (or coincidences) which have befallen those connected with the play and it has become bad luck to even say the word “macbeth” in a theater, unless it is part of the script. There are complicated rituals involved with removing the curse should one forget and utter the word. Superstition is so strong that for many theater people, it is known simply as “The Scottish play,” to avoid saying the cursed word.

The cast of the UC Department of Theater and Dance’s current performance of the Scottish play must have been very diligent to limit their references to the title character to on-stage utterances, because there is nothing “bad luck” about this production, directed by MFA candidate Emily Davis, a production which ignores gender in the casting of the play (the majority of the roles are played by women) and concentrates instead on the best performances of its 15 person ensemble.

The Wyatt Pavilion does not lend itself easily to elaborate sets, but scenic designer Robert Broadfoot has worked miracles with twigs, giving one the sense of being in a forest. (He has designed a particularly interesting looking dining table and stools)

Costume Designer, Molly LeGoy, in conjunction with director Davis, has created an interesting look for the three witches. They appear at the start of the play, joined together to form a barren tree, their body suits show the bark of the tree, the branches are extensions of their fingers. Throughout the play, they break apart or come together, as the case warrants.

Art Grueneberger has added an interesting twist with “puppet elements” as part of the witches’ cauldron scene in Act 2.

Heading the cast are Paula Dawson as Macbeth and Ara Glenn-Johanson as Lady Macbeth (repeating a performance of the role she last did in the 5th grade).

Dawson has mastered the manly swagger, has a throaty voice, and she brings believability to the complexities of Macbeth’s personality, at the same time hungry for power, and wracked with guilt over what he does to obtain it. We watch Macbeth’s rapid transformation from an opportunist to someone who has destroyed himself and everything around him in his quest for power.

Glenn-Johanson is simply marvelous as Lady Macbeth, from the moment she reads her husband’s letter hinting at future greatness based on the prophesies of the three witches. She knows how to push her husband to grab the crown, and how to help him deal with what he must do to get it. “Leave the rest to me,” she tells her husband, taking charge of the plans for what must occur. We later watch her descent into madness as she comes to the realization that crime really doesn’t pay.

Travis Dukelow is a regal and likeable Duncan, who will meet a tragic end. Dukelow also appears in 3 other roles.

Sarah Cohen has an appropriate princely bearing as Malcolm, especially at the conclusion of the play when Malcolm assumes the crown following the death of Madbeth.

Jon Carlo Blumwald wields a mean sword, especially as he slays Macbeth.

All of the swordplay is quite realistic, thanks to the fight choreography of Gregory Hoffman, and the cast wield their huge, heavy swords expertly. The fight scenes make the most use of all of the stage and ramp areas of Wyatt Pavilion to good effect.

JT Reece offers comic relief as the Porter, clowning with members of the audience (even a dense reviewer who didn’t realize she was being asked to tie his shoe for him).

Andrea Guidry is particularly good as Lennox, and Franchesca Jimenez is a sensitive Banquo.

Shefali Nagrani has two small roles, as a gentlewoman and as Fleance and yet she makes an impact whenever she is on the stage.

This Macbeth is one worth checking out. It is a tale told in a manner which will appeal to both the die-hard Bard afficionados and yet not so stylized or esoteric that it becomes difficult for the neophyte to enjoy.