N.O. Shakespeare Festival features less bloody, more muddy ‘Macbeth’

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“)

In Shakespeare’s Richard II at the beginning of Act II,  there is a famous phrase that is uttered in reference to England. On his deathbed, John of Gaunt vividly connects to the land in saying “This royal throne of kings, this sceptered isle. This blessed plot, this earth, this realm…”

Perhaps it was the very inspiration that drove Graham Burk, the director of the current production of Macbeth on stage at the Lupin Theater located in the Tulane University Dixon Hall Annex, to create a literal blessed plot of his own making as an homage to one of the larger nations in Great Britain,  Scotland.

A large section of earth lies at the center of the black  box performance space with projections dazzling the eyes on the surface and above it on scrims. The effects are thrilling and dazzling to the eyes, all designed by master Projection Designer James Lanius, who also designed all the sets and props along with excellent lighting designs by  Alexandeer Freer. The sound is also excellent, supported by live drums played throughout the play by actors wearing tartans and led by sound designer Steve Gililand himself.

This “plot” advances the actual plot of the Scottish play.  The Three Witches cavort in the dirt and make their pronouncements as a deadly plot against Duncan, the Scottish king, is hatched by Macbeth (David Lind) and Lady Macbeth (Jana Mastecky) on the same sod and, eventually, armies advance upon the land in opposition to the deranged despot at play’s end.

This unusual staging underlies very powerful performances by Lind and Mastecky. As Macbeth, Lind allows his voice at times to rise into the decibel level bordering on loud shouting, which tends to diminish the all-important words Shakespeare intended to be heard poetically.  Thankfully, those moments are rare. Mastecky turns in a more nuanced role, which serves the production well.

James Bartelle, Zarah Hokule’a Spaulding and Georgia Morgan are the First, Second and Third Witches, respectively,  Their choreographed performances are nothing less than enthralling as they each take time to climb onto and support one another in their several scenes. They are seen with very little in the way of costumes, but each caked with mud to emphasize their connection to the land.

As Macduff, the Scotsman who takes on a mission of vengeance against Macbeth, Edward Carter Simon is pure wrath unsheathed.  His allegiance to Malcolm (Arriana Chai) becomes Macbeth’s eventual undoing and the strength of his performance is almost unrecognizable from his earlier notable roles as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch and as Chicken in the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company’s remount of Kingdom of Earth.

Another role cast opposite traditional gender is that of Ross, played by Monica R. Harris. Harris turns in a very good performance throughout the play but especially in Act II, where Macduff must be informed of his family’s demise; Ross is the reluctant messenger.

Ryan Hayes and Brian McCormack plays Banquo and Seyton to great effect. Anja Avsharian makes a great turn as Lady McDuff playing opposite a young and talented Lucien Grace as her child.

Kaci Thomassie keeps the Scottish theme going throughout the play with hints of tartan here and there and representations of armor for Macbeth and others, especially in Act II.

Burk has successfully staged one of the most unusual productions of Macbeth seen on a local stage and the tremendous peformances of all the cast will make this one hard to erase from the collective memory of the New Orleans theatre community.

Macbeth continues at the Lupin Theatre in the Dixon Hall Annex on the campus of Tulane University. Evening performances are at 730 p.m. Sunday matinees are at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are available at 504-865-5269.