"Twelfth Night or What You Will" at Shakespeare and Company (Lenox, MA)

Photo Credit: Steven Barkhimer, Nigel Gore & Gregory Boover. Photo by Daniel Rader.

Walking into the theater the richly colored set, designed by Cristina Todesco, instantly brought the audience into a more modern Illyria than one they may have seen before. While this seemed to surprise some audience members, knowing this production was set in a seaside boardwalk dance hall in 1959, I was looking forward to a lively, humorous, and music-filled performance. Under the direction of Company Artistic Director Allyn Burrows this cast of ten talented actors delivered!

After a shipwreck, Viola finds herself on the shores of Illyria, devastated by the loss of her brother Sebastian. Disguised as a boy she finds comfort in the service of Duke Orsino. The Duke is in love with Lady Olivia and sends his new servant to her to try and gain her affections. Lady Olivia, rather than falling for the Duke becomes enamored with his servant, the disguised Viola. While this may seem like a very dramatic story, hilarity comes by way of Oliva's uncle Sir Toby and his band of musical pranksters who turn the house upside down and traumatize Olivia's steward Malvolio.

This story is one of loss, longing and love all tied together with the merriment that comes from a classic William Shakespeare comedy. While poetry and humor are the bare bones of this play, this production adds a significant amount of music, both recorded and live classics from the 1950s as well as original pieces, which amplify and accentuate the written work. Sound designer and original music composer Arshan Gailus did an incredible job blending Rock n' Roll, Motown and Jazz classics with new original tunes throughout this production. Superbly performed by Music Director Gregory Boover and the rest of the cast, the music wonderfully increased the audience's amusement and kept the story moving right along.

Cloteal L. Horne and Ella Loudon. Photo by Daniel Rader.

The cast features returning company favorites Martin Jason Asprey (Antonio/Sea Captain), Steven Barkhimer (Sir Toby Belch), Gregory Boover (Feste), Nigel Gore (Sir Andrew Aguecheek), Deaon Griffin-Pressley (Sebastian), Cloteal L. Horne (Olivia), Ella Loudon (Viola), and Maria (Bella Merlin), and newcomers Miles Anderson (Malvolio) and Bryce Michael Wood (Orsino). Having seen many of these actors before, I knew their acting, comedic and musical chops would delight the audience. Miles Anderson, who spent years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, fit right in with company regulars. In showcasing his fantastic comedic timing as Malvolio, he quickly became an audience favorite and even gained their sympathy after he was put through the ringer by Sir Toby, Feste, Sir Andrew and Maria.

The production runs 2 hours and 30 minutes with a 15 minute intermission.Twelfth Night or What You Will plays in the Tina Packer Playhouse through August 4^th. Shakespeare and Company is located at 70 Kemble St. in Lenox, Massachusetts. Tickets and more information can be found at www.shakespeare.org.

                                                        

Review: Simon Stephens’ Heisenberg at Shakespeare & Company

Written by Simon Stephens this two-person play features talented actors Tamara Hickey as the talkative Georgie Burns and Malcolm Ingram as the mature and compassionate Alex Priest. Set in present day London, we watch as the relationship between two unlikely companions changes over the course of six scenes. A common thread that connects them is the loneliness they feel because they have lost the people who meant the most to them. Georgie is a vibrant, spirited woman in her forties who mistakenly kisses the neck of Alex in a busy train station thinking he was someone else. Alex, poised, quiet, and seventy-five, becomes entangled in Georgie’s life, but it might just be the excitement his solitary life needed.

The scenic design by Juliana von Haubrich and lighting design by Dan Kotlowitz paired nicely to create sharp edges, and a world of clean-cut black and white. At the start of the play, there were thin lines, possibly from projections, that crossed in all sorts of directions along the movable flats that were covered in white fabric and stood across the upper part of the stage. Since the play begins in a train station, it makes sense that these lines could have represented various train routes. But it also showed how at various points each line would cross with another; just as human beings at various points cross paths with others that may or may not have an impact on their lives. It accentuated the Heisenberg principle which simple put, states that humans have an unavoidable tendency to influence situations that they may think they are only observing or have no part of. Even the slightest interference can cause the velocity or trajectory of a situation to change. So while Alex is sitting at the train station, listening to his music and minding his own business, he has no idea of the impact that Georgie and her seemingly chaotic personality will have on his life and his path.

Malcolm Ingram and Tamara Hickey. Photo by Eloy Garcia

Under the direction of Tina Packer, Hickey and Ingram wonderfully bring out the nuances and quirks of their very different characters. With each passing scene the audience is unsure where this relationship will go next or if it will fizzle out and the characters will go their separate ways. What we see is how two people can effect one another in both the smallest and biggest ways. Alex likes to tango, but doesn’t want to teach Georgie. He tells her she must learn elsewhere and then he will dance with her. Does he expect that she will actually go learn how to tango just to dance with him? Probably not. So when she surprises him weeks after their friendship began with knowledge of the complex dance steps, he is pleasantly amazed. When Georgie finally reveals her dishonesty and true motives for striking up a conversation with Alex that first day at the train station, though he is confused and hurt, he shows her kindness. He stands by her side as she comes to terms with the fact that she may never see her son again and in doing so is the steadfast rock that Georgie so desperately needed.

While this play was confusing at times and the antics of Georgie seemed to overshadow the calmness of Alex; Hickey and Ingram were fascinating to watch. Stephens writing is fast-paced and intense, but there was a sereneness in the silent moments between this pair that kept the audience fixated. It is an intricately complex play woven with tenderhearted moments that were admirably performed by this duo. ©

This production runs about 90 minutes with no intermission. Heisenberg plays through September 2^nd in the Tina Packer Playhouse on the Shakespeare & Company campus located at 70 Kemble Street in Lenox, Massachusetts. Tickets and more information about this play as well as Shakespeare & Company’s full season can be found at www.shakespeare.org or by calling the box office at 413-637-3353. 

Shakespeare & Company presents Terrence McNally’s Mothers and Sons

Having premiered on Broadway in 2014, Terrence McNally’s incredible drama Mothers and Sons is now playing on the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre stage at Shakespeare and Company in the Berkshires. It is a timely play about the complexity of the relationship between a mother and her son. McNally skillfully crafts characters that seem all too familiar and yet we in the audience don’t see how events will unfold as we become engrossed in each scene. We laugh at the uncomfortable jokes they make in their effort to ease the tension that is building. We gasp at the harshness and bluntness of the things they say. We tear up when they break down in unbearable pain. We see our family members, our friends and our coworkers in the various facets of these characters. In this play about change, personal growth, acceptance of others and, without a doubt, love, we see a glimmer of hope and compassion come from the youngest character; who in his innocence and kindness, shows us that good can come from bad and love can be shown in the smallest of ways.

Similar to Shakespeare and Company’s production of Morning After Grace earlier this summer, Mothers and Sons brings people together by using a character who is spoken about and very important to the other characters within the play, but who never actually appears. It was clear early on that this character, Andre, had a vast impact on the other characters within the story. Katharine, his mother whom he did not have the best relationship with, Cal, his love who cared for him until his passing, Will, Cal's husband, whom Andre never met, but who sometimes feels like he lives in Andre’s shadow, and Bud, the child born long after Andre’s death who knows nothing except how to show kindness and love to another person; even one he just met. It is in Bud that Katharine finds the love she has been seeking. A love she didn’t feel from any other person in her life, including Andre.

Bill Mootos and Annette Miller. Photo by Eloy Garcia.

Directed by James Warwick the cast of four included Annette Miller as Katharine Gerard, Bill Mootos as Cal Porter, David Gow as Will Ogden, and Evan Miller as Bud Ogden-Porter. Miller was riveting as Katharine. At times the audience was shocked at the things Katharine said, audibly gasping. At other times we could feel the pain and anguish Miller was displaying as Katharine mourned her son and lamented their relationship. Katharine was riddled with guilt and after years of stifling her feelings and being angry with her son and how he died, she finally starts to accept the role she played in his life. Many scenes throughout the play paired Miller and Mootos who consistently brought the audience on an emotional rollercoaster as their characters verbally sparred, sympathized and cried with one another all the while standing firm in their own beliefs. As Cal, Mootos often spoke with compassion and tenderness, but soon enough was enough. He was clearly torn up by Katharine’s unplanned and unannounced visit and reliving the past was not how he planned on spending his afternoon. Mootos portrayal was controlled and measured and balanced nicely against Gow’s younger, relaxed and fun loving portrayal of Will. As Will, Gow, was a compassionate father who put his son and his sons’ best interest above everything else. His father-son relationship with Evan Miller, who played Bud at this performance, was believably sweet.

This real-to-life play with its honest confrontations, three adults who want to be good parents and a child who brings life, laughter and love to those most in need gave the audience much to consider as they left the theater and walked out to their cars. Is it possible, after losing someone so important, that the void one feels could ever be filled by another human being? If Andre had not died and left a devastated Katharine and Cal behind, Cal would not have met Will. They would not have gotten married and had their son Bud: the redeeming, wholesome, pure love that each of the adults in this play so desperately needed.

Gut-wrenchingly authentic performances given by the adult cast, who were so invested in these characters and telling this story makes this play one that shouldn’t be missed. The audience was all in, attentive to the actors every moment and they were clearly stirred by their performances. Sniffling, wiping tears, reaching for tissues all while rising to their feet applauding. All signs that this play and these actors truly moved the audience, as I am sure they will continue to do over the course of this run. ©

This production runs about 95 minutes with no intermission. Mothers and Sons plays through September 9^th in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre on the Shakespeare & Company campus located at 70 Kemble Street in Lenox, Massachusetts. Tickets and more information about this play as well as Shakespeare & Company’s full season can be found at www.shakespeare.org or by calling the box office at 413-637-3353. 

Review: As You Like It at Shakespeare & Company (Lenox, MA)

William Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It is a story of love and the adventurous journey towards new beginnings. Duke Senior has been banished from court by his younger brother Duke Frederick. Frederick then banishes his niece Rosalind who has grown close with his daughter Celia. The pair attend a wrestling match where Rosalind first lays eyes on Orlando whom she quickly becomes enamored with. Orlando flees from his older brother Oliver who is threatening his life and withholding his rightful inheritance from their father Sir Rowland. He ends up in the Forest of Arden, where Duke Senior, Rosalind and Celia have also found sanctuary. But as we see in the play, when characters take on a foreign persona and live in disguise happily ever after doesn’t come as quickly as they’d like.  

Aimee Doherty and Deaon Griffin-Pressley.

Photo by: Nile Scott Studios

Director Allyn Burrows creatively used the entirety of the Roman Garden Theatre as a playing space for the characters in this Roaring Twenties themed production. The scenic design by Jim Youngerman afforded the actors the opportunity to enter from a dozen different locations that surrounded the audience and main performance space. This kept the audience present in the play as they consistently had to change their focal point as the scenes progressed and the characters entered and exited. 

The cast of nine, many of whom took on multiple roles, made each of their characters appealing in some way. The couples were clearly smitten with one another; especially Rosalind and Orlando, played by Aimee Doherty and Deaon Griffin-Pressley. The charismatic Aimee Doherty was perfectly cast as Rosalind. She was kindhearted, but direct in her conversations with other characters. Her interactions with Orlando, Deaon Griffin-Pressley, were bursting with the sweetness of young love. The cast also included Gregory Boover as Silvius, Thomas Brazzle as Oliver/Aubrey, MaConnia Chesser as Touchstone, Nigel Gore as Duke Frederick/Duke Senior, Zoё Laiz as Celia/Adam, Ella Loudon as Phoebe/LaBelle and Mark Zeisler as Charles/Jacques. This talented cast kept the pace of the show moving right along while also giving the audience plenty of opportunities to laugh.  

The original music, by sound designer Arshan Gailus, was well performed by the cast, led by music director & guitarist Gregory Boover. The musical additions both live and recorded were meticulously placed in the production to add to the jazzy twenties atmosphere.

All that being said, for a comedy, this play dragged on at times, though it was through no fault of the actors or the direction, it was simply Shakespeare rambling on. It was not my favorite comedy that Shakespeare & Company has produced, but it was lighthearted and amusing and the audience enjoyed themselves; which is often half the battle. © 

This production runs about two hours and fifteen minutes with an intermission. As You Like It plays through September 2^nd in the Roman Garden Theatre on the Shakespeare & Company campus located at 70 Kemble Street in Lenox, Massachusetts. Tickets and more information about this play as well as Shakespeare & Company’s full season can be found at www.shakespeare.org or by calling the box office at 413-637-3353. 

Pure entertainment now plays on The Winnipesaukee Playhouse stage with their production of Mamma Mia!

Courtesy The Winnipesaukee Playhouse

Mamma Mia!, the jukebox musical that features some of ABBA’s most beloved hit songs, is delighting audiences at The Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Meredith, New Hampshire. Since premiering in London’s West End in 1999, Mamma Mia! has become a worldwide phenomenon and gone on to become one of the most popular, if not the most popular, jukebox musical of all time. The story revolves around the wedding of twenty-year old Sophie Sheridan who, in an effort to discover who she really is, reads her mother’s diary and discovers the identities of three men who could possibly be her father. She secretly invites them to her wedding with the hope that when they arrive she will know which man is her father. Upon arrival, Harry, Bill, and Sam, all of whom thought their old flame Donna had sent them invitations, realize it was the possible daughter they didn’t know they had and not Donna who invited them. Tensions rise when Donna sees for the first time in twenty-one years her old lovers again, but will she give in to the love she still has for them or will she dig in her heels and allow her complex past to keep her from a happy future?

The performance opened with an overture performed by the six piece band led by Music Director and Conductor Shoshana Seid-Green. In those first few minutes the tone for the performance was established and it was electric. The pulse set by the band kept the momentum of the show moving right along. There was never a moment of awkward silence or a chance to look at ones watch wondering when it would be over. 

This energetic cast was directed by Bryan Knowlton, who also served as choreographer. Bryan skillfully showcased the tenderness and heart of this production while also allowing for as much fun as possible to be had by not only the cast, but the audience as well. His choreography was a fantastic mix of jazz, modern, and a bit of hip hop, and felt exhilaratingly fresh when performed by the talented cast. They danced with sharpness and intensity in numbers like “Money, Money, Money”, “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” and “Voulez Vous”.  The ensemble, with their supreme dancing, clearly loved each moment they were on stage.

Molly Parker Myers as Donna Sheridan, delivered strong vocals and played the feisty, independent Donna wonderfully. Her scenes with daughter Sophie, played by Teghan Marie Kelly, were tenderhearted and their chemistry as mother-daughter was entirely believable. Their performance of “Slipping Through My Fingers” was beautifully performed and brought tears to the eyes of many in the audience. Teghan Marie Kelly as Sophie Sheridan was perfection! Having seen her in a number of productions over the years this was by far the best performance I have seen her give. Her vocals were gorgeous and she made smart character choices. She was charming, sweet and genuine in her portrayal. 

The supporting characters featured Kelley Davies and Lindsey Bristol as Sophie’s best friends Ali and Lisa, Roxy York and Sebastian Ryder as Donna’s best friends Tanya and Rosie, Nolan Baker as Sophie’s fiancé Sky, Chris Hendricks and Olin Blackmore as Sky’s best friends Pepper and Eddie, Mark Stephen Woods as Bill Austin, Marc Willis as Sam Carmichael and Kyle Yampiro as Harry Bright. Each had their own likable traits, strong vocals, and all were delightful to watch.

The scenic design by Melissa Shakun was beachy with various levels of docks connected upstage and high walls with windows framing the stage that looked like a building made of shiplap. The lighting played a big part in creating the moods of each scene and designer Graham Edmondson used lighting that paired pleasantly with the set. The colorful and plentiful costumes were designed by Chelsea Kerl. 

It was not a perfect performance, but live theatre is rarely all together perfect and that is one reason why people love it so much. It’s fresh, exciting and anything can happen; just like life. The audience couldn’t get enough and stood loudly applauding not only during curtain call, but again through and to the end of the encore. Direct quotes from the audience after the show: “Wow”, “Excellent”, “So much fun”, “I loved it” and many more positive comments. If you need a break from a reality of stress and strife, go see this immensely enjoyable production. ©

Mamma Mia! runs about two and a half hours including intermission and plays at The Winnipesaukee Playhouse until August 11^th. Performances are Mondays through Saturdays at 7:30pm with matinees on July 30^th, August 2^nd, August 6^th, and August 9^th at 2pm. There are no performances on Sundays. Tickets range from $20-$34. For additional information and tickets visit www.winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org

Special Events from the Education Department:

Wednesday, August 1st- Talkback
Following the performance, you’re invited for an informal discussion with the cast and creative team.

Thursday, August 9^th, 6-6:45pm – Symposium

Pre-show presentation offering insight into the play. Presented by Musical Director Shoshana Seid-Green.

Review: An engrossing production of August Strindberg’s Creditors now plays at Shakespeare & Company

August Strindberg’s tragic comedy Creditors is a fast-paced, psychologically intense look at life and the cost of relationships. In this adaptation by playwright David Greig, three characters must face their past choices, and in doing so come to the realization that their present state is a result of those choices. Through deception they come to realize the debts they owe others and the unfathomable cost of love. Strindberg, in his naturalistic style, is a master of balancing the darkness of a dramatic psychological thriller and an authentic, unapologetic comedy. The three veteran actors (Jonathan Epstein, Ryan Winkles and Kristin Wold) who have taken on this play under the incredible direction of Nicole Ricciardi have expertly captured each facet of their multidimensional characters. In doing so, they grabbed the audience’s attention from the onset and held it to the end. 

Ryan Winkles. Photo by Nile Scott Studio

Adolph, a successful young artist who struggles with confidence in himself and his work, is portrayed by Ryan Winkles. Adolph is an impressionable man who befriends Gustav while at a seaside resort where they are both vacationing. Gustav, played by Jonathan Epstein, is a sophisticated professor. He is both charming and manipulative, though what his endgame is isn’t revealed until late in the play. Tekla, played by Kristin Wold, is a well-known writer and Adolph’s wife. 

Given that the play is only ninety minutes and is staged on one set with no black outs, the flow of action is continuous. This allows for the actors to really hone in on the language and story they are telling. This play examines the flaws and attributes of humankind: jealousy, revenge, desire, passion, domination, and love. Throughout the play, each character goes back and forth between being likable and sympathetic to being perplexing. We feel sorry for them one minute and the next, they frustrate us. The characters are unfiltered and honest, saying things to each other that some of us would have kept as an inner thought and not said aloud. There were moments when I felt for each of these characters, what they were going through and how they must have been feeling.

Jonathan Epstein. Photo by Nile Scott Studio

This cast was phenomenal, they were so invested in their characters and the story they were sharing that no amount of audience reaction, or lack thereof, could distract them. As I looked around at the audience at various points during the performance, I saw faces of astonishment, others smiling, some with dropped jaws and some with no expression at all. I further appreciated the skill and the focus of these three actors to perform such an intense and humorous work and not allow the reactions of the audience to faze them in the slightest. I’ve said this before, but I think it’s even more evident in a smaller theater (where the audience can be inches from an actor), that the focus it takes for the actor to not lose concentration or get thrown off by a reaction from an audience member really speaks to their professionalism and skill; both of which were abounding from this cast. 

Ryan Winkles, Kristin Wold. Photo by Nile Scott Studio

The play did not end how I was expecting it to and while some moments I could see coming, the final few minutes surprised me and I think many in the audience were as awestruck in those last moments as I was. This trio’s performance was humorous and fascinating to watch. The audience was fully engaged and quickly stood with resounding applause upon the plays’ completion.

This play isn’t a light, just for fun and entertainment-type of production that many people may be used to. While it has humor, it is a meaty, realistic look at human nature, our positive attributes as well as our worst flaws. It's real life reflected before us and it’s not to be missed. ©  

This production runs about 90 minutes with no intermission. Creditors plays through August 12^th in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre on the Shakespeare & Company campus located at 70 Kemble Street in Lenox, Massachusetts. Tickets and more information about this play as well as Shakespeare & Company’s full season can be found at www.shakespeare.org or by calling the box office at 413-637-3353. 

Review: A Doll's House Part 2 at Barrington Stage Company (Pittsfield, MA)

Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House premiered in Denmark in 1879. Over one hundred and thirty years later, A Doll's House Part 2 by writer Lucas Hnath, brings us back to Norway and the Helmer house where Nora slammed the door and left her family and life behind her. Premiering on Broadway in 2017, this play begins fifteen years Nora left her family. Directed by Joe Calarco, this emotional rollercoaster of a play is performed by four talented actors who are so deeply invested in their characters it is easy for the audience to get wrapped up in the story. 

Laila Robins & Christopher Innvar. Photo creditDaniel Rader. 

Laila Robins plays Nora, a strong willed woman of the world who chose to change the course of her life and become her own independent person in control of her destiny. Since leaving her husband Torvald, Nora has become financially independent as a successful writer and is enjoying living her happy life alone. Robins remarkably taps into each distinct facet that makes Nora who she is: her strength, her independent thinking, her emotional complexity and the pain she felt having to leave and live separate from her children. As well as her belief that women should have more of a role and choice in how they live their lives and not be constantly controlled by their husbands. Robins' vocal variations were intuitively well executed. There were times when she was visibly distraught or intensely angry and yet her vocal tone stayed low and she spoke from her gut rather than allowing her voice to get high pitched and screechy. In doing this, her portrayal of Nora resonated as meticulous and powerful instead of demanding and shrill.

Christopher Innvar plays Torvald, who we are guided into disliking in Ibsen's play, but in Hnath's sequel we gain further understanding of Torvald's character and the decisions he makes. Innvar's dynamic portrayal made Torvald a slightly more sympathetic character. Mary Stout plays Anne Marie, the nanny/ house keeper/confidant of the Helmer family. Stout delivered a nice mix of humor and heart in her portrayal. Ashley Bufkin portrays Emmy, the grown daughter of Nora and Torvald who meets her mother for the first time when Nora comes home to obtain a divorce. While it seems that, at the start of their conversation, Emmy is sweet and naïve, it is not long before we see the clever side of her when she tries to convince Nora of the best way to solve the problems both her and Torvald's past sins have caused, all the while ensuring a secure future for herself. Bufkin delivered an innocent, yet smart and at times humorous performance of Emmy.

While the technical elements were kept simple, the sound design stood out in its ability to amplify the core theme of this play: "You Don't Own Me". Lindsay Jones (Original Music and Sound Designer) took the basis of this contemporary R&B song and crafted it into a musical anthem that played instrumentally in between scenes and with the vocals during the curtain call. It perfectly enveloped this play and its characters tying it all together for the audience and ending with a powerful message of strength and independence. ©

A Doll's House Part 2 runs about 90 minutes with no intermission and plays on the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage until July 28^th. For tickets and more information on this and other productions call the box office at 413-236-8888 or visit www.barringtonstageco.org

A unique production of Macbeth now plays at Shakespeare & Company (Lenox, MA)

Written by William Shakespeare, Macbeth, or as most theatre folks refer to it, The Scottish Play, is a psychological and tragic tale of blind ambition and destructive, consuming power. It is a play full of malicious intentions and gruesome murders. Fantastically directed by the Obie Award-winning Melia Bensussen, who was inspired by the ghost stories of Edgar Allen Poe, this production with its intriguing artistic choices made it unique, unlike many of the others I have seen. In this rendition, Macbeth’s ambition and belief in his imagination lead to his destruction more-so than the witches and supernatural forces who, in other productions, are so often blamed. He mercilessly pursues his dreams and desires. Rather than allowing fate or anyone else to decide his future, he makes the future that he desires a reality. Blinded by his ambition and obsessed with gaining power over others, he gives in to the darkness within him to bring his future to fruition. It's not long before he thinks himself to be untouchable and undefeatable. Little does he know his time at the top will be short-lived.

Tod Randolph & Jonathan Croy. Photo by Daniel Rader.

The notorious Macbeth was portrayed by Jonathan Croy. He had a calmness about him that eerily intensified his evil deeds. His descent into madness was often quiet and more psychological than outwardly physical. His wife, Lady Macbeth, was portrayed by Tod Randolph who brought an interesting lightness and humor to the role; most notably in her relationship with Macbeth. It was clear that she was the mistress of the house and, more often than not, was in charge of not only the house and staff, but of her husband. Her influence over him was apparent from their first scene together. The pair was captivating to watch.  

Macduff, fellow nobleman and leader of an army rising against Macbeth after he becomes king, was terrifically portrayed by Thomas Brazzle. He played Macduff as a strong defender of what is right. Macduff is devastated when all he loves is taken from him igniting his rebellion against Macbeth. Their final vicious encounter was intensely crafted by violence designer Ted Hewlett. While both actors did a great job during this scene, it seemed like they were holding back. Granted, being fully comfortable with a lengthy violent action sequence takes time. That being said, the audience was riveted to the action being performed in front of them.

One of the best casting choices in this production is Ella Loudon as Banquo, Macbeth’s friend and fellow soldier. She was outstanding. Her low voice and commanding presence was well matched to the self-important stature of Croy’s Macbeth. Her portrayal of Banquo is one of the best I have seen. As Hecate, Zoё Laiz was mysterious and mystical, floating in and out of scenes. She was the perfect mix of supernatural darkness and devious playfulness. Nigel Gore gave a humorous performance of the Porter while also portraying the regal King Duncan. The cast was rounded out by Gregory Boover, Deaon Griffin-Pressley, and Mark Zeisler.

Zoё Laiz as Hecate. Photo by Daniel Rader.

The at-first-glance simple, yet increasing intricate and detailed scenic design by Cristina Todesco featured a long, raked, black runway or platform that also served as a table. It sliced through the playing space diagonally from an up stage corner and ended just shy of the audience. A rectangle Plexiglas wall stretched almost entirely from the stage floor to the ceiling. The wall's purpose would not be revealed until mid-way through the first half of the production and though I don’t want to give away too many of the technical elements of this show, I will say, when it was used it amplified the scene taking place unlike any other production element in recent memory. The scenic design, blending with the impeccably well placed lighting by designer Dan Kotlowitz as well as the sound design by Brendan F. Doyle became almost like another character within the play. Combined, they elevated the entire production value. While the actors' performances were terrific, without these exceptionally well designed technical elements, this could have ended up just another one of many Shakespearian productions. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this creative work and as I observed the audience around me, many sat on the edge of their seats and were completely enthralled by the performance taking place. Therefore, it's no surprise the audience didn’t take long to rise to their feet giving this company a rousing standing ovation. ©

This production runs 2 hours plus an intermission. Macbeth plays through August 5^th in the Tina Packer Playhouse on the Shakespeare & Company campus located at 70 Kemble Street in Lenox, Massachusetts. Tickets and more information about this play as well as Shakespeare & Company’s full season can be found at www.shakespeare.org or by calling the box office at 413-637-3353.