[NEohioPAL] Berko review: MACBETH (Great Lakes Theater Festival)

[Roy Berko]

‘MACBETH’
highlights new GLTF home at the refurbished Hanna
 
Roy Berko
 
(Member,
American Theatre Critics Association)
 
--THE TIMES
NEWSPAPERS--
 
Lorain
County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times  
 
--COOLCLEVELAND.COM—
 
‘MACBETH,’
the first production in The Great Lakes Theater Festival’s new 14.7 million
dollar new home, shows off all the elements of the refurbished Hanna
Theatre.  From the very first drum
beat, director Charles Fee uses the intimate facility to its maximum
effect.  Electronic platforms make
actors and set pieces rise and fall from the thrust stage area.  Special light effects, possible with
the enhanced illumination system, are ever present.  The audience is brought into the action by actors passing
within inches of them as the performers charge up and down the aisles.
 
For those concerned about what happened to the Hanna,
worry not.  In spite of the change
in seating patterns, the balcony, a favorite viewing area for many, still
exists, complete with its ornate plaster front decorations.  In fact, all of the colorfully painted
ornateness is still there.  The
wonderful auditorium ceiling, the proscenium arch and the decoration on the
side boxes have all been retained.  Only the paint color on the walls has been adjusted.  A bland beige has been used to cover
the original color.  
 
One of the wonders of the theatre is the acoustics.  No mikes are needed for the actors to
be easily heard throughout the theatre.  No mike squeals or uneven balance between actors’ spoken words.  Hurrah!  This is theatre as it should be.
 
Yes, the
initial attention on opening night seemed to center on the trappings, the new
bar area, the spacious and more comfortable seats, the wider aisles.   But, the attention soon shifted
to the stage, where Fee has created a wonder-filled production.
 
‘MACBETH,’
which is among the best-known of Shakespeare's plays,
is loosely drawn on the historical account of King Macbeth of Scotland.
Originally conceived in four acts, it tells of the dangers of the lust for power and the
betrayal of friends. 
 
The main
action centers on Macbeth, whose wife, Lady Macbeth,
hatches a plan to murder the king and secure the throne. Although Macbeth
raises concerns about the regicide,
Lady Macbeth eventually persuades him, by challenging his manhood, to follow
her plan. Unfortunately, the prophecies of three spirits that Macbeth
encounters in the woods, who state that his heirs will not inherit the throne  come true.  They tell him to "beware Macduff", but that
"none of woman born shall harm Macbeth."  These actions carry forth the plot.  
 
The play is
filled with great scenes including the one in which Lady Macbeth, racked with
guilt from the crimes she and her husband have committed, sleepwalks and tries
to wash imaginary bloodstains from her hands, all the while speaking of the
terrible things she knows.
 
There are
many superstitions centered on the belief that the play is somehow
"cursed", and many actors will not mention the name of the play
aloud, referring to it instead as “The Scottish Play.”   Great Lakes was not immune from
the curse.  Associate Artistic
Director Andrew May, who was to portray Macbeth, was injured prior to
production and had to be replaced.
 
As for the
GLTF staging, Fee has been nothing but creative.  He utilized on-stage percussionists performing Japanese
taiko drumming; reconceptualized the witches into spirits who transform
themselves into blackbirds, trees and images; remolded the play into two acts,
thus shortening it without losing any impact; used a Japanese flavor which
influenced not only the startling set but the costumes and stage movements;
underplayed rather than overacted Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s famous speeches;
and, called on general American pronunciation which makes for ease in
understanding.
 
The cast is
uniformly excellent.   Questions can be raised.  Did Dougfred Miller (Macbeth) and Laura Perrotta (Lady Macbeth) give
great performances?  Bottom line,
both are quite adequate and do not detract from the overall effect.  Should the actor’s speeches be given to
each other rather than directed to the audience?   Probably yes.   Do the drum sounds lose their effect after a
while?  I didn’t find that true
though some members of the audience seemed to think so.  Were Phil Carroll and Tim Try strong
enough as Duncan’s sons?  No.
 
Some factors
are clear.  The witches, Sara
Bruner, Laura Welsh Berg and Cathy Prince are outstanding.  Drummers Seth Asa Sengel and Matthew
Webb grab and hold attention.  David Anthony Smith (Macduff), Dudley Swetland (Porter), Aled Davies
(Duncan, King of Scotland) and Lynn Robert Berg (Banquo) are excellent.
 
Kudos to Scenic Designer Gage Williams, Costume Designer
Star Moxley, Lighting Designer Rick Martin and Fight Choreographer Ken Merckx,
who incorporate Kabuki-like movements and gymnastics into the fighting, for
creating the technical aspects which enhanced the production.
 
CAPSULE
JUDGEMENT:  GLTF’s new home is
spectacular and their opening production does the venue proud!  This is a ‘MACBETH’ which should be
seen in a facility that should be enjoyed.
 
Sidenote:  An excellent ‘TEACHER PREPARATION
GUIDE’ has been prepared by Daniel Hahn, Kelly Schaffer Florian and Cherly
Kleps to be used by instructors who are bringing their students to see the
play.  They can be obtained by
contacting Hahn at 216-241-5490.
 
For tickets
to ‘MACBETH,’ which is running in repertory with ‘INTO THE WOODS,’ through November 7, call
216-241-6000 or visit www.greatlakestheater.org.
 
 Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2008, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info
His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com and NeOHIOpal (to subscribe visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.)