Renegade Theatre Experiment plays macabre Macbeth
By
W. Fred Crow
Renegade Theatre Experiment, in partnership with City Lights
Theater Company, is presenting Shakespeare's macabre
and heavy tragedy "Macbeth." Political intrigue, manipulation,
and mayhem all play snugly into Shakespeare's view
of the struggles for royal power.
Directed
by Russ Marcel, Macbeth offers a solid cast though
a slow start. As events unfold, the tempo brightens
and the pace quickens. The play hits full stride in
the second act.
Laudatory
are the performances from Tom Gough (Macbeth), Leah
Herman (Lady Macbeth), Rob Viola (Banquo), Ron Talbot
(Macduff) and Peter Canavese (Malcolm). Gough held
a tight court over his staged kingdom as the deadly
usurper. Herman provided a gifted performance as Lady
Macbeth that would have benefited from amplification.
The large ensemble acquitted themselves quite well
to the challenge of Shakespeare. Olde English was
a bother to some, but not to the peril of the production.
Acting
as the hub to this dark wheel of deceit was the wonderful
scene snagging performances of Whitney Quinn Stebbins,
Sarah Almazol and Evangeline Maynard. They portrayed
the three Weird Sisters (witches) involved in the
ascension to power and removal from power of Macbeth.
Their constancy of motion in the surreal, their clever
and involved deliveries, coupled with their uncharacteristically
modern witch's attire, gave the audience an eye appealing
and provocative banquet from which to feast.
The
coupling of Renegade Theatre Experiment and City Lights
Theater Company appears to be a good fit. The rendering
of "Macbeth" took much talent to succeed and the gathering
at the stage door appeared to satisfy the need.
"Macbeth"
plays through May 1 at the City Lights Theater Company.
The theater is located at 529 S. 2nd St., San Jose.
Call the box office at 351-4440 or 295-4200 for more
information.
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