For 400 years, the story of Shakespeare’s great tragedy “Macbeth,” has been told throughout the ages. Now, at the onset of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s 40th season, the Scottish Play has once again taken the stage, leaving it just as bloodsoaked as a would-be king’s sinister thoughts.
No, this is not a review where you’ll find a joke of being “mad about plaid” (although Marianne Custer’s costuming and Robert Pickens’s wig-making are deserving of Celtic royalty). There are far more wicked things at play here.
As always, the story wastes no time with niceties, launching almost immediately into the oddity of the occult with the infamous witches, played by Courtney Bennett, Heather Dupree and Joseph J. Menino. Bypassing the cartoonish cackling hags of other productions, these creatures are plucked straight from the eeriest parts of the earth, the parts that unsettle some inherent notion.
The Rep’s production also wastes no time making clear the cast’s command over the language, thanks largely to dramaturg and assistant director Paige Martin Reynolds, who holds a Ph.D. in British Renaissance Drama. The tartan-clad troupe untangles the Bard’s bramble of “thee,” “thou” and “henceforth” to give the audience a clear window into the murky business of ambition.
First to fully embrace this sovereign appetite is Lady Macbeth, played by Jacqueline Correa, and she plunges deep into her hunger. Watching Correa slip from bloodthirsty brashness into contentment into madness is almost bewitching, as is the onstage chemistry between Lady Macbeth and her ill-fated husband.
It is Michael Stewart Allen’s Macbeth, however, who rules the stage with a grip as firm and inescapable as the king’s dark intentions. Every scorpion that plagues Macbeth’s mind is evident on Allen’s face and in his words, making each treacherous act more difficult to watch, and yet too entrancing to look away.
The noble Banquo, played by Damian Thompson, is honest and level-headed—loyally portrayed as the kind of friend it pains you to realize is doomed from the start in such a tragedy. Seth Rabinowitz’s Macduff is boisterous, turbulent and vengeful, and for all the right reasons. The dance these two do around and with Macbeth’s true nature is equal parts heart-pounding and filled with dread.
There is a reason Shakespeare’s plays are still performed nearly half a millennium later. The tale’s greed, the betrayal, the mistakes and the heartache still infect the hearts and minds of the current age. And in the directing hands of Bob Hupp, The Rep’s production of “Macbeth” is fervent, relevant and grievously human. It’s safe to say the theater’s 40th season will be nothing short of momentous.
“Macbeth” runs through Sept. 27. For showtimes and more information about the play, or to purchase tickets online, visit The Rep’s website. You can also call (501) 378-0405 or stop by the theater’s box office downtown at 601 Main St., Little Rock.