MacBeth at ATA

To tell the truth, it’s hard to review a show as well known and as frequently done as MacBeth. All you can do is hope there is something to set the production significantly apart from the scores of others that have come before it. The production directed by Ken Coughlin at the American Theater of Actors does perfectly good work with one of Shakespeare’s greatest and most famous works. But at times it’s hard to think of what else to say about it.

Let’s start by getting the biggest issue out of the way – the show ran into a significant technical problem. The program running the lights crashed twice, at one point leaving the actors on stage in the dark for a minute or two. To be fair to everyone involved, there’s hardly and fault or blame with computer issues, it seems unlikely to cause repeat problems, and the actors carried on remarkably. Still, it seemed incredible to me that nobody thought to call hold so the performers on stage at the time (one already on stage and one entering) weren’t fumbling around in the dark, unexpectedly unable to see. Out of an abundance of caution for the performers’ safety if nothing else.

Computer issues aside, the tech seemed to be the weakest element of the production. Most of the costuming was dark and had a tendency to blend in with the black background, one of the Weird Sisters wore a costume that felt very 80’s exercise wear and stood out from everything else in a way I couldn’t make sense of, and the lighting in a few of the scenes felt brighter and warmer than ideal for a scene that should warrant a more imposing, unsettling atmosphere. There wasn’t a lot of set to speak of, but that wasn’t much of a concern really – Shakespeare does best when you don’t have q concrete or realistic set since that was how it was originally meant to be performed. Coughlin made good use of the space’s existing architecture.

None of this is to say the production wasn’t without its merits. The staging and performances were solid. Michael Finn gave a resolute and strong MacBeth, caught up in moments of uncertainty spurred by bouts of conscience. Sophia Carlin’s Lady MacBeth is naturally even firmer. She shows no hesitation except in her sleepwalking scene, showing physical affection for her husband warmly and touching sadness and pain when talking about nursing a child only for the briefest moment. They both deliver well on the characters’ iconic speeches. Ken Dillon as MacDuff was another stand out, and Thomas J. Kane’s King Duncan warm and welcoming in a way I’m not sure I’ve felt in any other production I’ve seen. Julianne Lorndale, Madison Stranaham, and Elise Hansen were fun to watch as the Weird Sisters. The whole ensemble, in fact, did a great job and with great dedication, and the staging was strong and clear.

All in all, this MacBeth is a solid presentation of the play. Whatever its limitations, it’s done well by actors and a director who have done the work and understand the text and put it up in an engaging enough manner. The players clearly showed dedication to the piece. But I cannot think of much to say to make it stand out from other MacBeths that have come before.