There are times when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Sadly, for "Chamber Macbeth" currently playing at the Center House Theatre in Seattle Center, this is not one of those times. Seattle Shakespeare Company has mounted a less-than-wonderful production, but it does contain a number of excellent individual elements.
I should start by saying that "Macbeth" is my favorite work by Shakespeare. The language resonates and includes many of his most famous lines, ones we use regularly in our own conversations. The characters, both noble and ignoble, present complex psychological portraits that demand analysis and offer deep insight into human nature. The drama offers a study in contrasts: fair and foul, masculine and feminine, loyalty and betrayal, conscience versus unbridled ambition. It's a play so rich, on so many levels, that even a less-than-wonderful production is worth seeing.
So what didn't I like? First, the setting. In a misguided effort to capitalize on the supernatural elements that add to the play's power, the company decided to set the action in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. They added some jungle sounds and put feather decorations on a few costumes, including feathered masks for the infamous witches. It was rather like topping an elegant crème brulée with a dab of Cool Whip. Why on earth would you want to do that?
Second, there's the adaptation. The original play runs almost three hours, so Seattle Shakespeare wisely decided to make some cuts and pare it down to an hour and 45 minutes - hence its title "Chamber Macbeth." Good idea, but not well done. The cut version doesn't adequately show the stages of Macbeth's guilt-ridden transformation from loyal vassal to murderous aspirant to the throne. He's a man who becomes capable of the most vile acts in his vain attempt to seize and then maintain power.
At the start of the play, the valiant and loyal Macbeth has just won a major battle against enemies and traitors who would unseat the king. This good warrior is wonderstruck when witches foretell that he will become king. He's almost frightened by the implications of this news.
Of course, Lady Macbeth knows just what to do about it. She knows how to motivate her man: challenge his manhood, suggest he's a wimp if he doesn't fulfill his destiny by killing the king who loves and trusts him. At her urging Macbeth allows his ambition to overcome his unwillingness to commit regicide. And for Macbeth, it's all downhill from there. But in this cut version, the transition from noble Macbeth to evil Macbeth is too abrupt. His agonizing internal struggles are not sufficiently brought forth.
This is particularly evident in the scene where Macbeth, now the king, is entertaining a number of his nobles. Absent from that party is his longtime friend and fellow nobleman Banquo. When the witches predicted that Macbeth will become king, they also suggested that this won't be the beginning of a long lineage. No, it will be the son of Banquo who ascends to the throne.
Macbeth determines to kill both Banquo and his son. He has dispatched the killers to carry out the deed at the very moment this party is taking place. Caught between his blind ambition and conscience, Macbeth hallucinates and sees Banquo's ghost at the banquet. This should be one of the most powerful scenes in the play. It's not.
Yet within this somewhat askew production are some components that are interesting interpretations, and others that are a sheer joy to witness. The depiction of Lady Macbeth offers a new twist on her character. True, the husband has the motivation to murder, but she gives him the will, and she's able to do that by "unsexing" herself. According to Shakespeare's text, she becomes an unnatural woman, an asexual character who has thrown off the soft gentleness of woman.
In this production she's a lascivious sexpot who wields her influence over Macbeth with an unbridled sexuality to complement her cold and calculating ruthlessness. Jennifer Sue Johnson manages to combine both characteristics in her portrayal of the ambitious wife, and it works.
Heidi Ganser's costumes are wonderfully effective in reinforcing this interpretation. The costumes for the entire cast work well - except for the feathers. Yes, the text is full of references to birds, but sticking their feathers here and there isn't an effective device to reinforce that point.
Among my favorite scenes is the lethal duel between Macbeth and Macduff at the end. It is without a doubt the best stage duel I've ever seen, so frighteningly real that at one point I thought Macbeth had tripped accidentally and been seriously hurt, but no, it was part of the choreography. Kudos to Gordon Carpenter for this. Carpenter plays Macduff and also served as fight choreographer for the production.
Praise also goes to scenic designer Jennifer Lupton and those who worked with her to create a set that seats the audiences both front and back of the stage looking out onto a circle within a circle. It's minimalism that works beautifully.
"Macbeth" is a play about loyalty, ambiguity and fate. It's a play where deeds of dreadful note become commonplace. The audience watches in horror as Macbeth's world spins out of control and crashes in a violent end. But how else could it end? The witches foretold it all, and fate, of course, cannot be changed. Though this isn't a flawless production of "Macbeth," it's good enough to command the interest of anyone who enjoys Shakespeare or is willing to give him a try.
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