[NEohioPAL] Review of Macbeth at Rubber City Shakespeare Company by Kerry Clawson

[Chris Bizub via NEohioPAL]

A Rubber City twist

Theatergoers still have four chances to see Rubber City Shakespeare’s
bloody, bewitching production of *Macbeth *at Summit Artspace, 140 E.
Market St., Akron*. *(Cost is $14, senior citizens and students $12,
student rush tickets $5. Times are 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m.
Sunday. Seewww.rubbercityshakes.com.) <http://www.rubbercityshakes.com.%29/>

The production, directed by Dane Leasure, features Michael Laymon in the
title role and Cait McNeal as his “fiendish queen,” Lady Macbeth.

It’s often difficult to understand Laymon’s quick speech and he doesn’t
have the Shakespearean rhythm that most of the rest of the cast does. But
the role of Lady Macbeth is perfect for the highly dramatic McNeal, who’s
demonic as she’s egging her husband on to slaughter the King Duncan and is
scarily unhinged in her infamous “Out, damned spot!” scene, in which the
sleepwalking queen, clad in a pristine white nightgown, reveals her deep
guilt as she maniacally tries to rub unseen blood off her hands.

Also of note are Elizabeth Allard, Kate Klika and Michele McNeal as the
three witches, who create a spooky chorus of “weird sisters.” Matthew
Wheeler also makes a memorably ghastly appearance at Macbeth’s dinner table
as the ghost of Banquo, with a slit throat.

Leasure has set the tragedy in a rubber factory, RCS Rubber Company, to be
exact, in the time period between the end of World War I and the Great
Depression. But if you hadn’t read that information beforehand, you
wouldn’t recognize the conceit running throughout the story, other than in
costume pieces that include suspenders and knickers, groups of stacked
tires in the staging area, and the use of wrenches and pipes as weapons.

The tires are used ingeniously as legs for a board to be placed upon for a
table, and especially when they create a cauldron into which the witches
add glowing ingredients.

The theater has taken its raw space on the second floor at Summit Artspace
and flipped the playing space around for this show. The actors use more
cool yet simple props as Prince Malcolm and Macduff’s forces strike sticks
together to represent Birnam wood (forest) coming to Dunsinane, a happening
signifying Macbeth’s undoing.

Arts writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or
kclawson at thebeaconjournal.com. Like her on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/kclawsonabj or follow her on Twitter @KerryClawsonABJ.
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