A Front Row Experience

         Upon hearing that Macbeth was being performed by a party of just two, I decided that this play would most likely interest me more than the others. When I arrived I learned that I had accidentally purchased tickets in the front row, which unbeknownst to me meant that I was in for something a little extra special. 

        This rendition of Macbeth was fun, casual, and upbeat. They employed audience participation as a great tactic to keep everyone involved and extremely on their toes. Their props and dress were extremely simple, and in order to portray a large number of characters, they would announce in a large narrative voice every time a new character was supposedly entering on stage, for example, “ENTER MACBETH.” It was like watching Macbeth on a tight budget, the only thing that didn’t seem skimped on was the acting. I thought the two actors were very convincing, and acted with a higher intensity and emotion than I’ve ever seen in a live play before. This really brought the play to life for me, and I could tell that everyone in the audience was of the same impression. We were all at the edge of our seats, waiting for them to bring the next scene to life, despite boldly proclaiming their lines from atop a wooden box.

        I believe the simpleness of the show was part of its brilliance. We are relying wholly upon their acting, tone, gestures, and hints to have an idea of what is going on, and these actors had the skill to pull it off. When focused solely on them, we can zero in on the dialogue, and I think I got more out of the lines in this performance than any of the other Shakespearean plays I’ve seen before.