By Alayna Een
The perfect serenity of the trees, the creek, and the little meadow in Heritage Park’s outdoor amphitheater in Cedar Hills, Utah, is hardly a harbinger of the emotional intensity and electrifying performances an audience member can expect from the Creekside Theatre Fest’s production of Macbeth (in conjunction with the Cedar Hills Cultural Arts Citizens Advisory Committee, the City of Cedar Hills, and Liahona Preparatory Academy). One of William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, Macbeth is the story of an all-corrupting ambition and the devastating consequences that follow those who seek power and position without considering the moral cost. The dark themes of the play and its profound moral quandaries initially seem at odds with the landscape of Heritage Park, as audience members lounge on picnic blankets in the intimate, informal theatrical setting. But as the play goes on, the darkening sky mirrors the plot’s pull toward destruction, and the previously serene scenery starts to sink into shadow. It almost convinces me that Macbeth was made to be seen in the outdoors.
Traditionally, the story of Macbeth begins in the wake of Scotland’s war with Norway. But director Ben Henderson opens instead with the whole (and fairly sizable) cast onstage, bidding tender goodbyes and sending the men off to war. This is one of the many adaptations that Henderson makes throughout this performance of Macbeth to highlight the personal, familial ties between the characters. These adaptation choices are then juxtaposed with Henderson’s compelling reimagining of certain scenes (such as the banquet scene with Banquo’s ghost), which, according to the director’s notes, were edited to promote a sense of unease and disjointedness as an homage to Macbeth’s famous line, “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!”.
M. Chase Grant brings Shakespearean star power to the role of Macbeth as he demonstrates the character’s inner conflict through nuanced line delivery and his impeccable stage presence. Grant plays well off of Lady Macbeth (local star Shaunna Thompson) as they take turns being wickedly bold and repentantly timid, or else playful and plagued. Thompson truly shines as Lady Macbeth, bringing energy to both her ambitious confidence and crazed downward spiral. Carlos Nobleza Posas has a natural vibrance that brings power to his portrayal of Banquo, both as a living character and as a haunting specter. His entire commitment to the role, as demonstrated by his full submersion in water so he can emerge as a dripping, nightmarish phantom, is to both his and the production’s credit. The Witches (six actors plus Nichole Allen as Hecate) slink around the stage and are present in almost every scene, emphasizing the idea that an evil influence, once heeded, lingers on and continues to poison the mind. They play a major role in creating a creepy ambiance and do a spectacular job.
Chris Hults adds levity to the performance through his playful portrayal of the Porter. Hults bumbles around the stage, cleverly accompanied by the “Maple Leaf Rag” performed live and perfectly timed thanks to music directors Maren Hansen and Zach Hansen. Hults then approaches and interacts with the audience as he delivers some of Shakespeare’s funniest and most famous lines. Hults also plays King Duncan in the performance, impressively capturing both a serious and a silly character. Duncan’s son and heir, Malcom, is played by Anton Moss, who brings youth and energy to the role and perfectly captures that character’s abrupt switch from light and pretended frivolity to sincere and lordly leadership in his scene with Macduff. Macduff (Jakob Tice) has a wonderful relationship with Lady Macduff (Amy Carlin) and their children (London Allen and Ella Baker). Tice perfectly portrays a loving father and really carries the purpose for his revenge into the final scene. Miles Gourley, double cast as Donalbain and Fleance, also demonstrates supreme familial loyalty. The strong performances of Kyle Fotheringham (Ross) and Ardon Smith (Lennox) ground the story and help the audience understand the state of affairs of the kingdom.
The creative liberties Henderson takes as the director to adapt certain scenes and characters are generally very successful, but occasionally they made it hard for me to distinguish the names and roles of certain minor characters. Some of this confusion is probably intentional, but in other instances it became mildly distracting.
One of the greatest difficulties with an outdoor performance is striking the balance of light and sound, and on the whole Jordan Long and Ben Henderson (Light Design) and Jake Allen (Sound) do a phenomenal job. The stage floods with color to pair with the emotion of the scene, and the strobe-light effect is used sparingly but compellingly in the moments of Macbeth’s greatest madness. There are several moments, especially later in the evening, when a spotlight would have helped me better distinguish the movement on the stage, but the emotion in the lighting is always clear. J. Allen’s sound provides a good accompaniment for the dialogue and mostly avoids overpowering the actors. The set design team (Brian Hadfield, Josh Hiatt, and Giselle Gremmert) do wonders with a minimalistic castle backdrop and ingeniously incorporate the natural surroundings to help tell the story, having the actors shake the nearby foliage as Birnam Wood begins to march. I loved Jess Nielsen’s costume design, incorporating kilts for the Scottish nationals and adding an air of dark whimsy to the wardrobe of the witches, not to mention the elegant but rich and colorful costume of Lady Macbeth. Choreographer Matthew Carlin took on the challenge of a fairly large cast and turned the banquet scene into a dark, disjointed dance party, adding emphasis to the turmoil of the scene.
Macbeth is one of my favorite plays to see performed live because every time, I almost believe that this time it will end differently. This time, Macbeth won’t kill the king. These emotive and powerful characters almost convince me, as they convince themselves, that they can escape their fate. Creekside Theatre Fest’s rendition of Macbeth left me with much to think about, but it did not leave me disappointed.
Creekside Theatre Fest presents Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Heritage Park, 4425 W Cedar Hills Dr., Cedar Hills, UT 84062
June 21, 25, 27 and July 1, 2019,8:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Tickets: $10–$16
Creekside Theatre Fest Website
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