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A CurtainUp Review
Macbeth: Transformed
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Is this a dagger which I see before me? .— Macbeth
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Amanda Boekelheide and Sarah Eismann
(Photo: Leah Reddy)
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Beyond gender concerns, this new Off Broadway staging reveals the incredible elasticity of the classic. Macbeth is of course so deeply rooted in the popular imagination that poetic license can be taken with this, or that, and not a beat will be missed. Amanda Boekelheide and Sarah Eismann, who conceived and perform Macbeth: Transformed, are shaking out the gender construct here. At each performance, a character's gender is redefined and the persona given a subtle twist and different tone. No doubt Boekelheide and Eismann hope to change the Procrustean notion that only men can play Macbeth (and other iconic roles). Yes, Lady Macbeth is a plummy part. But Macbeth is the real plum.
The project was originally dubbed The Unsex Me Here Project but was retitled Macbeth: Transformed during rehearsals. This eleventh-hour decision was a wise choice and suggests that this Macbeth project may ripen and evolve even more during its run.
No complaints when it comes to the acting. Boekelheide and Eismann insinuate themselves into the various personas with seeming effortlessness. The guest voice over artists — male and female alike — at the preview performance I attended, managed to wrap their mouths around the set pieces and verse, if not flawlessly, with sincere immediacy. In fact, their collective performance brought an everyman quality to the production. While it can induce near vertigo during some of the 90 minutes, it is never, ever boring.
Macbeth: Transformed has a very Spartan look. There are few props used and the costumes are no more than loose fitting garb that could fit into any period. Instead of performing on a traditional stage, Boekelheide and Eismann zig-zag through every inch of the room as the scenes unfold, declaiming their speeches from any available space. The audience members are seated on three sides of the room, and face toward the center. Indeed there is a very up-close and personal feel to this performance.
This adaptation lacks spectacle, glitz, and any name actors. But it shows that two women can take on the Thane and other principals in the play's world, with chutzpah and conviction.
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Macbeth: Transformed Written by William Shakespeare Conceived and performed by Amanda Boekelheide and Sarah Eismann Directed by Amanda Boekelheide, Cast: Sarah Eismann, Claire Kennedy, Amanda Boekelheide, Jordan Laroya, Rob McFadyen, and Brandon Petty (various roles), guest voice over artists. Sets, props, tech design: Antonio Consuegra Fight director: Jordan Laroya Flight trainer: Michael Mullen Sound designer: Jacob Subotnick Lighting designer: Samantha Davis . Stage Manager: Rachel A. Jerome The Access Theater Gallery, at 380 Broadway. Tickets: $10 - $18. Visit BrownPaperTickets.com (http://mbunsexmehere.bpt.me). For more information on the Manhattan Shakespeare Project, visit www.ManhattanShakes.org From 4/01/15; opening 4/05/15; closing 4/19/15. Wednesday through Sunday @ 8pm. (Each performance of MACBETH: TRANSFORMED will feature 2 new guest voice over actors). Running time: approximately 90 minutes with no intermission Reviewed by Deirdre Donovan based at press performance of 4/01/15 |
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