Reviews: Macbeth presented by Walt Whitman HS
Written by Julie Kessel of Albert Einstein High School
“By the pricking of my thumbs,” Walt Whitman High School’s wicked production of Macbeth comes—a foreboding post-apocalyptic take on the iconic tale of ambition and death, where every dark deed has a cost.
Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare and first published in 1623, is loosely based on real events in Scottish history. Examining the effects of brutal ambition and potent manipulation, the play follows Macbeth as he receives a mysterious yet favorable prophecy from an eerie trio of witches and, at the urging of his conniving wife, sets out to fulfill it through any means possible. A string of murders and guilt-induced descent into insanity follow as Macbeth learns the costs of his newfound power.
As the ambitious Macbeth, Annie Mershon portrayed a masterful character arc throughout the play. Starting as a quietly authoritative figure, Mershon’s expressions grew more resigned and accepting with every murder, showing the character’s complex internal battle over his actions. By the show’s end, Mershon’s movements, voice, and expressions contained a manic intensity, perfectly painting a picture of a paranoid and tyrannical ruler. Rising and falling alongside Macbeth was Anna Murray as the driven Lady Macbeth. With every touch and glance, Mershon and Murray cultivated an intimate connection, yet Murray’s cajoling tone and regal stature added an undercurrent of manipulation to the couples’ interactions. However, Murray’s initial calculating expressions juxtaposed her later descent into insanity. During a powerful soliloquy, Lady Macbeth’s regret and desperation were evident through Murray’s shaky voice, pleading expressions, and jerky movements as she tried to clean blood from her spotless hands.
The most striking moments of the production occurred when the Weird Sisters (Clara Cortelletti, Cooper Gregg, and Elana Snyder) appeared onstage, accompanied by their Drumming Divinations. The witches’ constant fluid movements and cackling tones were eye-catching and mystical, and the Drumming Divinations added intensity to their chaotic chants. At the end of the first act, drums pounded and cymbals crashed perfectly in time with the witches’ primal incantations. Enhanced by eerie purple lighting (Alyssa Hodor, Eden Borchert, and the Whitman Lighting Team), the act concluded with mysterious, frantic energy and a literal bang.
Hodor, Borchert, and the lighting team ignited the stage with symbolically chosen colored lighting, spotlights that created intimate moments between characters, and warm lighting that added an airy atmosphere to Macbeth’s spacious castle. In contrast, the many murders in the play were intensified through a stage bathed in red light, creating a bloody and brutal mood that captivated the audience. Collaborating with the lighting team to enhance the various poignant atmospheres of the show were Maya Kawamoto, Max Gontkovic, and the Whitman Sound Team. The sound team added music to the backgrounds of many scenes, such as fight sequences, murders, and the infamous dinner party Banquo’s ghost attends. These deliberate music choices added considerable tension and raised the stakes of many scenes. To ensure the accuracy and timeliness of these vital sound and light elements, stage managers Anna Rueffer, Henry Dupree, and Amara DeVinney consistently called snappy cues that maintained the show’s momentum.
Filled with emotion, power, and complexity, the actors and technicians brought the deadly play to life. As Whitman’s enthralling production of Macbeth came to an end, it tragically proved that “blood will have blood,” and power always has a price.
Written by Mimi Wise of Our Lady of Good Counsel
With creeping fog and the echo of drums across the stage, three witches appear and begin their impassioned chanting. The iconic prophecy they recite is just the beginning of Walt Whitman High School’s captivating production of Macbeth by William Shakespeare.
Written in the early 17th century, Macbeth is a story of ambition, betrayal, and fate. It follows Macbeth as he is driven to madness and imminent death by his pursuit of power. Within the context of the early 1600s, this play explores the political strife between Scotland and England. However, Whitman’s production takes the story out of this era and places it inside a post-apocalyptic setting instead. Despite the major switch in time and aesthetic, Shakespeare’s timeless tale adapts and its themes still hold true.
Able to impactfully convey the major character development the titular character goes through, Annie Mershon had a phenomenal stage debut as Macbeth. At the beginning of the play, Mershon effectively communicates Macbeth’s apprehension as Lady Macbeth proposes her plan to murder King Duncan. As the plot progresses, Mershon uses performance choices such as changing her body language in order to illustrate the shift in Macbeth’s demeanor as he is consumed with the craving for more power and becomes increasingly harsh throughout the show. Additionally, Mershon does a great job of portraying the panic Macbeth experiences when faced with Banquo’s ghost.
As Lady Macbeth, Anna Murray skillfully fulfills the role of Macbeth’s foil character. The one who orchestrates the murder of King Duncan, Murray embodies ambition through her powerful stage presence. It is made clear how intelligent and diligent Lady Macbeth is through Murray’s body language and decisive actions. Murray and Mershon have wonderful chemistry as scene partners and are able to work off of each other’s characters to depict the tragic couple of this story. While plotting, Murray often uses physical touch to highlight their loving relationship, which justifies the devotion Mershon’s Macbeth has for her. Furthermore, in the scene where Lady Macbeth has visions in her sleep, Murray gives a very compelling performance, connecting with the audience on an emotional level through the pain and desperation in her voice.
A creative highlight of the show is the ensemble of the Weird Sisters and the Drumming Divinations. The three witches, played by Clara Cortelletti, Cooper Gregg, and Elana Snyder, along with the drumline composed of eight talented musicians, play an integral role in the production. Through fluid movements, paired with Shakespeare’s bewitching dialogue, the three witches manifest as mystical beings with prophetic powers. Cortelletti stands out as the lead witch, and effectively captivates the audience with a strong stage presence when delivering lines and performing the possession of Macbeth and his accomplices. An inspired addition to the witches is their Drumming Divinations who effectively enhance their scenes by using percussion to emphasize their dialogue and create tension.
With a set that is both highly functional and compelling aesthetically, the set design of this production is a major standout. The set fully reflected the intended post-apocalyptic setting by incorporating pipes, a satellite, chain, ivy, rusted metal, and scrap material into the design of the castle. Material-wise, the structure uses foam to create the illusion of stone, which it achieves effectively. Beyond looks, the castle is also very practical, with several entrances and exits, along with two stories that are used to make the blocking more dynamic.
Through the acting and production elements, Whitman’s production of Macbeth is an inspired take on the well known story. Likewise, the creative use of the post-apocalyptic theme and drum line are intriguing components of this captivating production.