The Tragedy of Macbeth

The Tragedy of Macbeth
July 7, 2008, 7PM
In Battery Park, with Brian

New York Classical Theatre stages productions that make use of the site. Audiences follow the actors around the location—in this case, Battery Park—and stop from time to time to watch a scene. This was the 2nd of their productions that I’ve seen. The running around actually helps a good deal in keeping focus.

As would be expected from ‘classical theatre’, the show was done in period dress (or as close as they could get to it.) And there were swords! Witnessing all that clanging and grunting had all the children in the audience enrapt.

I wasn’t overly enamoured with Bryant Mason’s Macbeth (though he did have a healthy beard) or with Joshua Decker’s McDuff, whose great emotional scene was rendered all but moot by his having to SHOUT OVER THE FERRIES, but I loved Duncan and his son (Stephen and Cooper D’Ambrose), one with the easy manner of a kindly king, the other tottering towards righteousness. The witches were fun. They weaved in and out of the action as soldiers, swordfighting against the men, and acted as guides telling the audience where to go next.

In addition to being, all told, an engaging production, it offered numerous photo ops. The Statue of Liberty was in the background during many of the scenes, and an extended scene took place inside Castle Clinton with the buildings of lower Manhattan looming overhead. What a pity that pictures weren’t allowed.

ETA: As the commenter below rightly pointed out, I haven't mentioned the women. I agree with everything s/he said, except for the 'not done before' part, because it has been done before. In fact, the last two times I've seen Macbeth, the witches have been blended into the story in other parts, so they are always around. Now, what was interesting about this production is that the witches actually did battle. They were the ones who killed the soldiers in battle, or, in the case of Banquo's son Fleance, helped him to safety. I found that very interesting. Plus, girls with swords=awesome. And yeah, it was rather creepy/ghosty. Lady Macbeth was good, but I thought she was difficult to hear, so that stopped me from laying praise down.