Review by Neal Newman
March 30, 2024
Imagine this. You are standing at the bottom of a hill. Suddenly, you hear what sounds like a war, a cacophony of percussion. Over the hill, heading directly toward you is something that resembles a huge army tank. You can’t tell because there are golden lights blinding you. The sound now resembles an army of loudly marching men. It is terrifying and exciting. Such was the experience of seeing Shakespeare’s MACBETH at Quintessence. It would be wrong to detail all the wonders. The setting is a tall black platform with many surprises emerging from therein. The excellent costumes resemble a Scots WWI brigade. The witches wear bizarre masks and continually perform chants and writhing dances. The sound effects seem to continue forever. And there is fighting, lots of fighting: some in slow motion upstage to illustrate the dialogue, and then battles that are just mean and bloody. The lighting is complex, quickly changing, and conveys that the entire play occurs at night. Oh, and two final theatrical coups d’theatre will surprise and delight those who have studied the play.
Many talented people, led by director Alex Burns, deserve acclaim for this achievement. They will be credited below.
The acting company is a strong one. Daniel Miller is a charismatic Macbeth, a strong, tall, believable soldier. He is a profoundly ambitious but not a deeply emotional Macbeth. When Miller asks, “Is this a dagger I see before me?” he doesn’t tremble but sees it as a challenge. This murderer is not too upset when it is announced that the king is dead, but more concerned that Banquo’s line might replace him. His finest moment is the speech: “Light thickens, and the crow/Makes wing to the rooky wood.” He accepts evil. He embraces it. Lady Macbeth (Scott Parkinson) is a strong and committed wife. She continually has her hands upon him, hugging, kissing, and molding him like a piece of wet clay. Eventually, madness does overcome her, and the handwashing scene is terrifying. The fact that Parkinson is male is irrelevant. It’s a grand performance. Since this production does not produce prodigiously emotional Macbeths, director Burns gives that moment to Macduff (Lee Thomas Cortopassi), who is persuasively moving at the death of his family and frighteningly angry in the final battle scene. Christopher Patrick Mullen is fine as the soon-to-be-killed King Duncan but then grabs the limelight almost immediately as the hilarious and totally unrecognizable comic porter. He may have added to Shakespeare’s words, but the laughs appear at this strange moment. Shakespeare wouldn’t mind. The remaining cast is more than adequate, though the visually impressive Banquo of Vaughn Meccod makes Shakespeare’s verse primarily incomprehensible. Bringing Banquo back from the dead, in the doctor’s important role, was a mistake. The witches were given extra dialogue and dances, but by the time of the parade of kings, they had worn out their welcome.
All of this creates an impressive evening that is highly recommended. Now, let’s list the credits:
Director/set design and sound design: Alex Burns
Lighting by Anthony Forchielli
Costumes by Kelly Myers
Masks created by Barbaric Yawp Worhshop.
Fight Direction by Sean Bradley
All contribute memorably. The three hours flies by.
RUNNING TIME: 2 hours 45 minutes, including one intermission.
MACBETH presented by Quintessence through April 21, 2024, at 7137 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Tickets can be obtained at quintessencetheatre.org or by calling 215-987-4450.