Macbeth
On Friday December 7, 2012, I
attended the production of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth staged by the Department of Theatre Arts at SUNY New Paltz
and directed by Paul Kassel. This modern take on one of the Bard’s darkest and
most powerful plays was set in a Eurasian country beset by civil war. The set’s
scaffolding and broken columns portrayed a nation on the brink of ruin and in
desperate need of rescue. The play opened to the sounds of modern warfare, with
gunshots ringing out as civilians fled for cover. Male and female soldiers dressed
in fatigues and armed with contemporary weaponry rushed onstage after them as
skirmishes began. In a matter of moments, the fighting ended, and King Duncan
(Evan Davis Russell) entered victoriously with his retinue.
This opening
sequence was played to good effect, setting the stage for the events of
violence and terror that would follow throughout the course of the play.
Macbeth’s world begins in bloodshed and will inevitably end in likewise fashion.
This production also took a refreshing take on the character of King Duncan,
having him clothed in the business-suit attire of modern world leaders rather
than the military get-up of his subordinates, indicating that this is a king
who does not do his own fighting. When Macbeth (Stefan Brundage) is hailed by
the Witches as “king,” it is not surprising because it was he, along with
Banquo, who led King Duncan’s forces to defeat the traitors Macdonwald and the
Thane of Cawdor in the preceding battle. Macbeth has proven himself to be a
capable leader—why should he not be king?
The same
can be said of Banquo (Paul Boothroyd), though he shows more humanity and
patience. He is fated to be the father of kings, a fitting destiny for a worthy
man willing to wait for his fortune. Boothroyd’s Banquo played a composed
contrast to Brundage’s overeager Macbeth. Brundage’s take on the title
character was an extreme but effective one; from the outset, the audience is
acutely aware of the instability within him. Therefore, Lady Macbeth (Robin
Epes) is the perfect match for him. She is the cool and calculated half of the
pair. It is she who harnesses and realizes Macbeth’s and her own ambition. Epes
successfully captured the essence of Lady Macbeth’s character. Although arrayed
in distinctly feminine and high-fashion clothing, this Lady Macbeth “unsexes”
herself with her deep voice, aggression, and intensity.
The play’s
minor characters were played well, though some were more memorable than others.
The female actresses in the male roles accented the modernity of the setting, a
highlight of the entire production. Shaquana Bell’s Porter gave the audience a
break from the negative atmosphere. A breath of fresh air, her extemporaneous take
on the Porter’s speech was humorous and memorable. Michael O’Connor
appropriately portrayed the vengeful Macduff, and Brendan Quinn was a suitable
Malcolm in the production.
This production did, however, have
some minor flaws in my opinion. Although Kassel chose to re-locate and update
the events of the play—a bold decision as a director—the titles of nobility and
place names remained those of medieval Scotland, which made for an awkward incongruity
between time periods. Such awkwardness occurs in other productions like Baz
Luhrmann’s 1996 film Romeo + Juliet, where
the language and setting are of two different times, but it might just be a
personal preference of mine to not mix archaic dialogue with a contemporary
setting. (Then again, altering the dialogue would change Shakespeare’s words,
which is a travesty to even consider.) Kassel also chose to present a bizarre
interpretation of the Witches, instead characterizing their presence on stage
as merely spiritual possessions of other bodies. On one hand, this choice made
for interesting and rather chilling moments on stage; however, I was slightly
confused when random characters were suddenly emitting eerily robotic vocals—it
made me think that everyone had the potential for becoming a witch.
Overall, I did enjoy the production
very much, and I have a lot of respect for the director, players, and the stage
crew who assembled a beautiful and effective set. Out of the few Shakespeare
productions I’ve seen in my life, the one put on by the SUNY New Paltz Theatre Department
was certainly the most memorable, and I commend all of those involved for their
successful interpretation of a timeless Shakespearean classic.
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