MacBeth

Shakespeare As Performance Art
with weird and unsettling results

Shakespeare classics are always getting updates to find new audiences - Disney's Lion King, Central Park free performances, even opera versions. And every now and again someone takes it to a new place, a dramatic and bold interpretation eschewing any traditional ties to the bard's original staging and directorial choices. In this vein, we get served up a dark, disturbing, and confrontational Macbeth with Patrick Steward playing the lead. This is not for the faint of heart or those new to the material. Critics rave about such a bold and risky take on the classic tale of power, murder, and madness. I, however, found the tone unrelentingly morbid, grotesque, and in-your-face. It was like being at some artsy-fartsy performance piece, complete with video projection, a man peeing in a sink, the king making a sandwich, and loud, very loud, explosive noises blared to such decibels to make the ears pierce. Some updates I found interesting - the witches place by nurses - while others were too referential to be innovative - elevator descending into this hell a la Shining, complete with blood, or Angel Heart. With nary a pause or a change in tone or emotion, it became sheer torture to constantly be stressed by the characters projected levels of excessively disturbed edginess. Truly a lot of strutting and fretting upon the stage. This is not for the faint of heart or the first time Shakespeare viewer. Be warned, and if you're up for a grimy, horrific Macbeth accompanies by shocking sensory jolts, then this is the perfect S&M play for you.