Review: MACBETH at Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy

Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy’s (STCA) production of Macbeth took a classic play that so many know and, through the use of minimal stage design and strong movement, presents it in a truly unique way. Macbeth draws the audience in from the moment the lights go down, and has you on the edge of your seat until you are on your feet for a standing ovation during the curtain call. Their use of puppetry made for a unique production, unlike any Shakespeare play I had seen before, and has earned its place as a show I will never forget. 

While already closed, Macbeth was part of the STCA’s Summer Repertory - the culminating productions of the Academy program and graduate education of the 15 Academy students. All actors were also performing in Twelfth Night, which was the other half of the Repertory, and having seen both productions, I thoroughly enjoyed being able to see the duality of these these actors and analyze their able to act in both a comedy and a tragedy back to back. 

Immediately, the company graces the stage with large sticks as their weapons (later representing Burnham Wood) in the middle of a battle. The strong, choreographed movements were quite impressive, and it was clearly demonstrated how they have excelled in their fight choreography and education. Emma Jaster’s work as the movement director shines through, as does the fight choreography led by Robb Hunter, and every time the cast returned to stage with the sticks to portray another battle or other scenario, I was sucked in, unable to take my eyes off the stage. 

Early on, we are introduced to Macbeth (Michael Girts) and Banquo (Robert Kittler, also Doctor) as they meet the Weird Sisters (Olivia Potter - also portraying Lennox, Claire Hilton - also portraying Porter, and Matilda Musser - also portraying Murderer 2, Soldier, and Reporter) and Macbeth receives his premonition. Shortly thereafter, Lady Macbeth (Bridget Campbell) enters the stage reading a letter from Macbeth, and who joins in on the plan to kill Duncan (Anna Marzullo) so that Macbeth can become King. What happens next? That’s for you to find out - but remember, Macbeth is a tragedy! 

As a fairly large cast of characters, with many actors playing multiple roles, it was at times difficult to differentiate who was who upon first glance, especially due to the simple costumes and set designs. However, each actor worked hard to bring different personalities and mannerisms to each role they played. The remaining cast is as follows: Julian Cividanes (Macduff, Attendant, Child), Kimberly Colisch (Gentlewoman), Kira Cornell (Malcolm), C.J. Craig (Captain, Murderer 1), Cameron Holder (Lady Macduff, Lord), Kendall Kent (Seyton, Hecate), Lenny Mendez Terceros (Ross), and Sofia Hernandez Morales (Donalbain, Fleance, Reporter). Each of these young actors did spectacular work and the entire company should be incredibly proud of their phenomenal work, but as always, a few performances stood out among the rest. 

Bridget Campbell’s portrayal of Lady Macbeth was astonishing. As a character with a large range of emotions and situations they find themselves in, Campbell was able to show this range with ease. From her monologue while reading Macbeth’s letter, her interaction with Macbeth after the murders, or her sleepwalking and psychosis, Campbell fully embodied Lady Macbeth and paid such close attention to detail to accurately portray whatever emotion she was feeling. The sleepwalking scene is one that sticks out in my mind, as both visually and in her actions, the audience was able to see the poor state that she was in. The tousled hair, the paleness in her face, the unease in her body - each aspect was so well done. 

Michael Girts’ performance as Macbeth was another standout. His ability to show a range of emotion and his accurate portrayal of Macbeth’s mental unraveling throughout the play allowed the audience to truly feel his tumultuous experience as he grappled with trying to rectify death with more death. Girts’ led the audience on a journey of the dangers of unchecked power and ambition, and his ability to clearly demonstrate the changes in Macbeth does not go unnoticed. It’s as if I could almost feel the sheer chaos in Macbeth’s brain as he tried to figure out what move was next. 

A small plug here for Claire Hilton as Porter - the best comedic relief in a stressful, tragic story. I can still hear her "knock, knock, knocking" in my head, and chuckle thinking back to her invitations to lawyers and lobbyists into hell - something that was clearly very tailored to this DC-based production. The performance I attended must have been on the eve of STCA's graduation, as she even made a joke about wrapping up her bit so that they'd let her graduate tomorrow. Hilton was truly a standout in both of the Repertory productions this summer. 

The use of puppetry in this production, as aforementioned, was truly unforgettable. So many actors were involved in various aspects of the puppetry - Olivia Potter, Matilda Musser, and Claire Hilton (among others, as it was not a 3 person job to control those) were excellent when it came to the small little details in their puppetry, especially when it came to interacting with the actors on stage. The use of small movements within the puppets themselves and highly coordinated and choreographed movements as a cohesive group was visually pleasing. I also enjoyed the use of puppets in the portrayal of children in this production; this was a clever way to be able to include the child characters that are integral to the plot without having to cast children to do so, or have adults play children. Julian Cividanes (Child) and Sofia Hernandez Morales (Fleanace) were so clever in their portrayals, giving these “children” their own personalities (such as fixing their hair, a diss handshake, holding onto their parent as a real child may) and acting as if there was an actual child onstage. Cameron Holder (Lady Macduff) also did a great job with the baby doll/puppet, treating it with the same gentle care and concern as a real baby, which helps keep the audience engaged in the scene, as sometimes in live theatre, it becomes very obvious that a prop is not real or what it seems. All the actors did a wonderful job engaging with the puppets as though they were fellow cast members. 

Alec Wild’s direction was creative and well-planned, as there are always difficulties when utilizing minimal set design, costuming, and other effects. Wild worked well with these limitations, making use of aspects such as the strong movements, puppetry and lighting, while also clearly putting a lot of time and effort in working with each actor to assist them in their character portrayals, since it is truly the actors that make the play. 

While the STCA’s Summer Repertory is done for the season, both of their productions left lasting impressions on me, and as someone who is not a frequent consumer of Shakespeare, they have inspired me to continue to attend STCA and STC productions in the future just for the fun of it. Each of these actors should be very proud of the work they have done in their graduate program, and I wish them all the best as they move on to whatever is next for them in their careers! 

Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. 

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