Review by Chase Johnson
Cincinnati Shakespeare’s Macbeth opens with a weeping mother and grieving father standing over what is implied to be their child’s casket. Three women in nurse uniforms take the coffin away presumably for burial and then take the mourning mother off to receive intense psychotherapy. This includes a graphic depiction of electroshock therapy where the nurses crank up the voltage, at first with looks of concern and then with ghoulish grins. Let me say that I love horror. I’m a big fan of the genre and when done well it can be an absolutely thrilling experience. I do not scare easily. This version of Macbeth is masterfully done and I know I will barely sleep tonight.
The Plot and the Curse
One of Shakespeare’s most infamous plays, Macbeth has always been a look at the terror blind ambition can cause. For those unfamiliar, the title character Macbeth is a Scottish lord fighting for his king honorably and bravely. He meets the weird sisters, a trio of witches, who inform him of a prophecy. Macbeth will win accolades and new lands as a reward for his valiant service and later be crowned King of Scotland. This leads him to his tragic doom as he betrays all of his friends and allies and commits atrocity after atrocity, all while the Weird Sisters watch on in glee from the shadows.
The play is infamous among theater artists as according to legend it carries a curse. Supposedly Shakespeare used actual spells in his dialogue that angered a coven of witches who, furious with the bard, made it so whenever the name of the play is spoken in a theater bad luck follows. This has lent an air of mystique to the play’s reputation that has only increased in the centuries following its original production.
The Performers
Right off the bat the weird sisters (Sara Mackie, Aiden Sims, and Elizabeth Chinn Molloy) run the show. They are ever present, ever watching and ever pulling the strings. They are excellent antagonists and the performers playing them do an amazing job of portraying three incredibly cruel manipulative witches.
Also while not as present as the witches, Hecate (Kelly Mengelkoch) their boss is portrayed as a shadowy government agent and they do an incredible job of invoking old cold war era spy movies. No discussion about this show could be complete without Lord (Darnell Pierre Benjamin) and Lady Macbeth (Hayley Guthrie) watching them both slide into madness is heartbreaking as they both start the play very sympathetic and likable. I also greatly appreciate the details of their gradual brainwashing and the looks of confusion and bewilderment.
The Production Team
CSC never fails to impress with their sets (Jon Savage) Costumes (Nia Safarr Banks) and of course the fantastic direction and concept (Christopher V. Edwards). The projections (Robert Carlton Stimmel) are incredibly useful for showing the hallucinations that both Lord and Lady Macbeth see and provide some very cool atmospheric touches. All of it comes together in a sheen of Cold War era horror which just heightens the masterful performances.
To See or Not to See?
This is an amazing production of one of the most infamous plays ever written. If you love horror, psychological thrillers, and love to feel scared then this Macbeth is the show for you. I will warn you that this show features medical and psychological horror, some political content that may hit a bit close to home for some audience members, and several violent murders. It’s a bloody good time, but may not be suitable for all audiences.
Tickets
Macbeth runs until March 23rd. Tickets can be purchased from the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s website HERE or by calling the box office at 513-381-2273. Tickets are selling out fast. Be sure to get them as quickly as possible.
