Macbeth (Classic Theatre of Harlem) NYC Reviews and Tickets

87%

(14 Reviews)

Positive

93%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Great acting, Absorbing, Ambitious, Great staging, Entertaining

About the Show

The Classical Theatre of Harlem presents a free, family-friendly mounting of Shakespeare's immortal tragedy in Marcus Garvey Park.

Framed to reflect the diverse culture and interests of CTH's neighborhood and audience, this interpretation of 'Macbeth' is set in Ethiopia during the time of Haile Selassie (Ethiopia‘s regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974). It stars CTH's producing artistic director, Obie-winning actor Ty Jones, and Rosalyn Ruff, who played Macbeth and his wife a decade ago in a previous company incarnation of the show.

Member Reviews (14)

Entertaining, Great acting, Ambitious, Absorbing, Refreshing

See it if You'd enjoy a highly talented group of actors putting a modern spin on a Shakespeare classic. Fun, family friendly and entertaining.

Don't see it if You do not enjoy outdoor theater or if you do not like the works of Shakespeare.

Great acting, Great staging, Original, Intense, Riveting

See it if You love Shakespeare with a difference.

Don't see it if You only like classically staged Shakespeare, or you don't like Shakespeare at all.

Critic Reviews (3)

"The noise and the night are factors whenever 'Macbeth' is performed outdoors in an urban setting, but somehow they’re particularly effective enhancements here. They help this production survive some uneven stretches and a general sense of rushing through the material...Ty Jones, the theater company’s artistic director and a commanding stage presence, tackles the title role...Jason Delane as Macduff makes its most heart-wrenching moment very effective indeed."
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"Set in 20th-century Ethiopia, this one-act truncation speeds by. Familiarity with the story helps though all of the celebrated soliloquies are there, with Ruff’s climactic sleepwalking speech and Jones’s spirit-fueled breakdown particularly effective. There are quibbles: The porter cracks obvious Trump jokes and the weird sisters are visually eerie yet vocally garbled. But like the best campfire ghost stories, this multicultural 'Macbeth' delivers goose bumps."
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“There's plenty of sweep in Cofield's staging...For all its speed and spectacle, this production goes a long way toward illuminating the shifting relationship between Macbeth and his too-ambitious wife...This was my first experience with this company, and clearly its members are not afraid to provide a classic play with a boldly stylized profile while remaining fundamentally true to the text.”
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