Macbeth Play

I went to see the Macbeth play on Thursday night, and I was actually surprised by how it was performed based on seeing the set that day in class. I thought that what they decided to do with the three witches was strange. I did not see it as being that done that way. They almost seemed possessed, and it was actually a bit disturbing. I also was not a fan of what they did with Banquo’s ghost. They had him come out in a black outfit with spots of a pinkish color, what I am assuming was supposed to show blood, but really it was just odd looking.

I did not really like the fact that they seemed short on cast members. I could tell when a character was killed off, Duncan for example, and then that cast member was back later on in the play dressed as a soldier. The one thing that was bothering me was that it was ok that they needed to re-use cast members, but they at least could have made them look a little different. That guy in particular looked exactly the same. If I was not familiar with the play, I might have been confused by this and that is not how people want to feel at a performance.

The one thing that I did enjoy was the modern twist and the use of the guns. That was perfect and kept me intrigued! I also liked that the cast walked through the aisles for some parts, it made me feel as though I was getting a full experience and I never really knew what to expect there.

The woman playing Lady Macbeth was FANTASTIC! She looked just as I would have pictured her to look. Her heels were a bit high, and I was always watching to see if she would lose her balance…I know…terrible of me to think…but she was great!

The only “mistake” that I picked out was with the sliding door in the back of the stage. Often the performers would go in and out through there and a few times the cast was supposed to close the doors together (2 cast members, one on each door)…and a few times the door was not closed evenly, so the audience was able to see into that back room, and often I was able to see the different people moving about in the back, and that was a little distracting.

Overall, the play was nice… I would not pay the $18 or whatever it was to see it but the student price was reasonable, and I would recommend checking it out if you have the time and are looking for something to do. I am curious to see other students opinions about the performance.