Macbeth (Classic Stage Company)

See it if Doyle's "lean & hungry" staging moves like a stealth missile w/judicious pruning & economic ensemble igniting dark tragedy Leads outstanding

Don't see it if Doyle's usual clipped staging can cause grief (for purists) or confusion (for novices) but gets job done w/scenes of quick shocking violence

See it if Great acting by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Love the thrust stage and CSC is an expert with it. Fun finding a witch or her words,

Don't see it if 9 actors play more than 25 roles but with almost same costumes. 2 great female actors play 2 1/2 male roles. . Set is a throne and...

Also How does anyone not get hurt with hurtling actors flying thru some audience space?

When will C,S,C, return to playbills?... Read more Read less

See it if John Doyle and the terrific Stoll and spouse distill a brief, bare Scot tragedy with gender-flipped roles and shades of grey/noir wardrobe.

Don't see it if Having apparently exhausted musical/political dramas, the Doyle factory sets its crosshairs on steamrolling the inevitable Shakespeare canon

See it if you enjoy Shakespeare but aren’t in the mood to sit through a three-hour play. This abridged 100-minute version is quick and impactful.

Don't see it if you don’t like Shakespeare or prefer to experience his works staged in full.

See it if you’ll enjoy many excellent Macbeth scenes even if the show as a whole stretches credibility bcz the collapse of Macbeth’s reign is so rapid

Don't see it if Anyone going to CSC likely has a few Macbeths under their belt, but I’m still not sure if all of Doyle’s intentions were made clear

Also Who could resist sitting on that cool, oversized throne?

Pros: The banquet scene, the murder of the MacDuffs, MacDuff’s grief, Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking, the entire character of Banquo. Stoll’s delivery of the sound and fury soliloquy is exquisite. Few props but well-staged. The acting space is on a long thrust so seating on the sides of the house (opposite other audience members) offers a pretty good sightline.

Cons: Diffusing the witches through the cast seems to minimize their impact. Sometimes it feels like speeding through a Macbeth highlights reel rather than an inevitable, causal domino chain of dread. Occasionally got distracted by how many ways there are to wear a plaid shawl. The doubling can get confusing.

I’ve never seen a perfect Macbeth but this one does a lot of the most memorable parts extremely well.... Read more Read less

See it if dark Shakespeare tragedy stripped down to essentials in a 1hr 45 min production; an excellent Stroll who shows the character's changes in*

Don't see it if don't want violence, minimalist staging, want more of the original play presented; don't like actors coming from multiple sides of theater

Also *that short amount of time & with some humor - goes from beloved thru trepidation to evil power hungry maniac & finally to insanity
Staging works perfectly for this theater. Costumes were also minimalist but perfect - black combat boots & predominately grey tartan fabrics.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see every Macbeth. Corey Stoll good.

Don't see it if You want the complete Macbeth-this version is cut. No scenery at all. Hard to hear, audience on three sides. Confusing sometimes who’s who.

Also Does not feel Shakespearean.

See it if you don’t mind a shortened form of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth that barely gives you time to breathe between scenes; a fan of the actors.

Don't see it if seeking traditional Shakespeare; don't like /confused by actors in multiple roles; aren’t a fan of CSC’s spare sets and garish lighting.

Also With Corey Stoll as the doomed eponymous figure, Macbeth is a solid production, with solid acting. But CSC’s bland design and inability to moderate lighting so you aren’t distracted by seatmates across the stage made the show less-enjoyable. I also had to shut my eyes at certain moments: I have light-sensitivity only in this theatre. The actors play multiple roles; there are no three “Queer Sisters” but a chorus of the ensemble. Nothing’s fussy, and that’s fine; but the whirlwind of an intermission-less show, with some actors remaining on stage even when they should have made an exit, sometimes proved distracting and maybe confusing for those who have never seen or read the play. Lady Macbeth could have been more central and while Stoll is fantastic as the lead, methinks the fast-paced nature of this show disallowed him from ever really giving himself time to stay mentally in a moment, to linger there, and to drag us down into the depths of guilt and murder deeper and more sinisterly.... Read more Read less

See it if You like your Shakespeare abridged and condensed to the point of incomprehension

Don't see it if You are not familiar with the play already , otherwise you will find it impossible to follow

See it if you're interested in a solid but safe rendition of a Shakespearean classic.

Don't see it if You're looking for a fresh take or unforgettable performances. You're going to miss the porter scene.

Also Super competent production, but overall underwhelming. I know it's either trendy or gauche to deem Shakespeare overrated, but as a diehard fan, this show made me think that Macbeth might not be that good. Sure, the weirdlings are captivating, but the use of magic/prophecy in general felt contrived and lazy rather than ponderous, inevitable, or fatal. And to dispatch Lady Macbeth with a throwaway offstage dispatching made me feel cheated, even if it leads to one of the best monologues in the English language.... Read more Read less

See it if John Doyle’s minimalist staging gives added imaginative heft to this study of ruthless ambition; terrific ensemble especially Stoll&Bowers

Don't see it if If you don’t know ow the play well it can be confusing because actors play multiple roles across gender without costume changes

See it if you cannot get enough of John Doyle’s organic staging.

Don't see it if you, like me, have seen dozens of productions of this text and want to see something daring and fresh.

See it if Fine intro to MacBeth clear and dynamic, Corey Stoll makes every word intelligible and meaningful.

Don't see it if Minimalist costume and set. The text has been greatly edited. I wish the actors had more gravitas, shouting does not a performance make.

Also Personally, I felt the style of acting out of sync with the play.I didn't believe Corey Stoll was a Scottish warlord and Lady MacBeth seemed to be a manipulative housewife from the Upper East Side. But hey, that's my problem.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see every Macbeth - it's a somewhat different take. Many of the actors- besides the 2 leads - are excellent.

Don't see it if even though it's sliced up to be v short, it drags. The doubling/tripling of actors is just confusing. The set and staging add nothing.

Also The director's style works for many plays, but it tanks here. The anachronistically casual styles of M and Lady M make them seem silly, unserious, and irrational. The set is overly bare, the costumes both dull & distracting. The murkiness doesn't set the mood - it only subtracts; all the furniture moving is pointless. The multiple witches make little sense. And the violence is unnecessarily graphic. What a waste of talent.... Read more Read less

See it if you know the play well and can fill in the pieces. The porblem with abbreviating Shakespeare is you miss the character development. Pity

Don't see it if you want the full evolution of a tragedy. The speed and superficiality make for a diminished experience. Ladies Macbeth and MacDuff emerge

See it if Corey Stoll has broad range & gives most memorable "Tomorrow" speech ever; Nadia Bowers is Lady Macbeth; Raffi Barousmian, a fine Malcolm.

Don't see it if you don't know MacBeth well; don't like your Shakespeare cut. This runs 1 hour 40 minutes. Multiple cast members play multiple parts.

Also This is a fine MacBeth.

However. I disliked the opening and closing scenes, with the company (well over three) at the periphery of the thrust stage to deliver, in monotone, lines from the witch's coven scene that traditionally opens the play (and doesn't traditionally close it).

The lights are badly focused. They shine directly into the eyes of the first 2 center rows at the end of the thrust stage.

And MacBeth delivers his opening lines almost entirely with his back turned to the center audience, which makes him inaudible & inchoate.

Despite these missteps, however, the audience is well compensated by some superb acting, especially from Corey Stoll, Nadia Bowers, Raffi Barsoumian (Malcolm), Barzin Akhavan (Macduff) & Antonio Michael Woodard (who plays Banquo's son Fleance, Young Macduff & Young Siward).

Also, CSC uses paperless PDF internet programs. Do not expect to read a paper program at your seat.

Don't miss it.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a Shakespeare fan as well as a John Doyle fan

Don't see it if stripped down, bare-bones productions are not to your liking, or if you can't sit through 100 minutes with no intermission

See it if you want to see Shakespeare. This classic is performed in under 2 hours. Moves quickly.

Don't see it if you want musical comedy or something light. Some actors handle more than one role.

See it if you haven't seem Macbeth before and want a slightly shortened version.

Don't see it if you want the acting to be really professional and grasp the emotions and evil of Macbeth and his wife.

Also I felt I was watching a good high school performance. The theater is freezing.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a very dramatic play.

Don't see it if you do not enjoy very serious plays and want a light hearted play.

See it if you like Shakespeare and want to see a uniquely directed production of The Scottish Play.

Don't see it if you do not like Shakespeareian tragedies.

See it if you love shakespeare and CSC unique and extraordinary productions. great script and acting.

Don't see it if you don't like Shakespeare

See it if You like a production where the audience is in the middle of the action, want to enjoy the poetry of this play

Don't see it if You are looking to be moved emotionally. Lots of emoting but I couldn’t really connect.

See it if you want to see a lean, pared-down, fast-moving production of Macbeth.

Don't see it if you expect a Macbeth and Lady Macbeth who are true tragic figures. Here, they came across more as crass schemers whose plan goes wrong.

Also More than 40 years ago, I saw Maggie Smith play Lady Macbeth, and I’m still waiting to see another Lady Macbeth who strikes as much awe and terror into my heart as she did. Not a fair bar to set for other actresses, I know, but there you are.... Read more Read less

See it if John Doyle’s staging.is something you enjoy

Don't see it if you want to see something fresh and inspired.

Also Acting is fine, but enough of these bare sets and terrible costumes. There is nothing new here and was somehow without emotional punch... Read more Read less