Reviews: MACBETH presented by Herndon HS
Written by Emma Ramer of Saint John Paul the Great
It was red. It was mad. It was fated. Prophecies and descension into insanity is the eclipse of ‘the Scottish play’. Centered around MacBeth and his wife, MacBeth by William Shakespeare follows their rise to power while leaving a trail of blood behind only to lead them to the ultimate destruction in the wake of their royal ambition. Performed by Herndon High School, they layered the show by adapting it into a post-apocalyptic setting, adding a lively sense of newness to discover about this timeless, and dark, paragon.
The most apparent application of the post-apocalyptic usage was done by the costume team, led by Livie Godfrey. The costumes of the eleventh century wardrobe were integrated with that of a modern appeal consisting of leather jackets, combat boots, and more. However, some leant towards the original time period, with corsets, and old-day breeches, but these style choices always reflected that of the character’s personalities and role in the play. Beyond the styles, they added many more elements including MacBeth’s coat which seemed to symbolize him concealing his red shirt and blood that he had spilled, until later, he falls further into his malice and neglects it, his red shirt for all to see.
Red was a significant source of symbolism in which Herndon High School took every advantage. Among the use of red in costumes it was also a significant factor in the lighting and yet still managed to restrain from being overpowering. Throughout every scene, the lighting (designed by Makayla Umana, spotlights by Duncan Mahoney and Sophia Umana) played a crucial role in telling the story. The red lighting captured the draping fabrics on the ceiling of the stage as if it was dripping, making it impossible not to feel submerged in the blood of their performance, creating the desired effect of an unsettling amount of ease the actors had with instituting malevolence.
Blythe as Lady MacBeth, took advantage of all of these compelling effects and manipulated them to her disposal. Her expert stage presence wreaked of grace and her lethal beauty filled every word with specific intent as she broke the barrier of misinterpreted diction belonging to Shakespearian style literacy. She came to be the devil on MacBeth’s shoulder that had slain his angle as if she lived off of the sensation of blood on her fingertips. Blythe spoke on the prowl, slowly and sure, completely unaware of the bear she had poked within her husband. Her disturbing ease of character mobility was exemplary. She slowly morphed from deadly fatal and the epitome of evil-intent to succumbing to the insanity her own evil brought, as she was unable to wash her hands of the blood she caused to rain.
Excellently matching her presence, was Chatterjee as MacBeth. Chatterjee managed to develop his character from the opening battle to the very end and his death. Making use of the shadows, he let them cloud his features to highlight his underlying animosity. He cleverly takes hold of the fated ambition and lets it flow until he drowns in its depths. Chatterjee's powerful portrayal of MacBeth only advanced as he added a sense of humanity and sympathy to be shown slowly spoiling rotten in his heart.
Instead of making the world their stage, they made their stage a world. This performance of MacBeth was so immensely natural, reality came across as displaced. The actors and crews managed to capture the feeling of being fully immersed into the world of MacBeth. Intense, suspenseful, and enticing, “This is the very painting of your fear,” and Herndon High School painted it flawlessly.
Written by Kate Caling of Loudoun Valley High School
Witchery. Destiny. Murder. As the eerie red lighting envelops a scene of schemes and betrayal, Herndon High School’s rendition of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth opens their curtains to a world of greed and questions of morality. In this infamous production, only one thing is for certain: this accursed narrative is not for the faint of heart.
As an encapsulating tale of pursuit for the Scottish throne, the tragic Shakespearean play follows a man’s journey for prophesied power and his subsequential spiral into insanity. Originally written in the early 1600s, this variation of Macbeth takes upon a post-war apocalypse setting—where society’s wounds are still riddled with desolation and moral corruption.
Bo Chatterjee’s portrayal of Macbeth was immaculate; from the way he shifted his body language to the way he positioned his hands. Mirroring the initial mannerisms of his counterpart Lady Macbeth, Chatterjee proficiently showed the devolution and growth of mental fortitude within his character. His subtle changes in stature and vocal tone to reflect Macbeth’s mentality, along with changes in his costume design, strongly projected the corruption his character was facing throughout the play.
The casting of actress Nora Blythe as Lady Macbeth was undeniably perfect for expressing the cunning persona of the character. Blythe’s unparalleled stage presence was captivating with how she embodied her lines and she showcased the crumbling of a once domineering lady. The compatibility of the Macbeths was disturbingly enthralling, as both Chatterjee and Blythe had eye-catching stage presences that complemented and juxtaposed each other’s wicked mentalities and habits, creating to a chilling, multifaceted power couple.
On the antithetical side of the Macbeths, playing the role of Macduff, Jack Rudolph effortlessly elevated himself to become an unforgettable character. In response to his character’s tragedies, Rudolph’s skillful execution of breaking down was so convincing and breathtaking that the atmosphere became still—engrossing everyone in his performance. Rudolph’s portrayed disposition of Macduff contrasted with his surroundings, highlighting his aptitude of controlling the tone of his scenes. His shaky breathing and secluded body language, followed by the compelling presentation of his resolve, showcased Rudolph’s brillant manifestation of the loyal and resilient character.
From both a technical and spectatorial perspective, Herndon High School’s Light Crew, under the direction of Makalya Umana, utilized the lighting in a way that was impossible to ignore. Reflecting the barrenness and decay of the show’s setting, the stage set was illuminated with symbolic highlights in a versatile manner; cool blues and whites for the environment, and deep warm reds for the intense and corrupted scenes. Despite having little-to-no-experience, Umana and the crew used the stage lighting with such skill and precision that brought complex elements and emotion to the show.
Depending on the scene, the lighting allowed certain characters to further accentuate their control over the stage. In particular, the reds that encompassed Chatterjee’s Macbeth were subtly changed and amplified over time wonderfully, allowing for the changes in his character to be more prominent. When devoured by his guilt and paranoia in the fifth act, instead of being put under the spotlight he was instead drowned under the intense red lights while the murdered apparitions were placed in bright white light; highlighting the intensity of the effect it had on him. Tied together with the eerie and renaissance-inspired sound designs, the lighting of this show is a spectacular example of how technical aspects of theatre are critical to the success of the production.
Comprising many heart-wrenching scenes and breathtaking moments of suspense, Herndon High School’s production of Macbeth “Apocalypse” was able to expand upon the boundaries of the original play, making an unforgettable performance and experience for all.