Macbeth (Teatro Circulo)

See it if You like Shakespeare and are open to interpreting the text in ways that might not have been possible in his time.

Don't see it if You are looking for a full blown Broadway musical.

See it if You enjoy a tremendous production staged cleverly with excellent acting. A great job with a great Shakespeare Play!

Don't see it if You do not enjoy Shakespeare.

See it if a truly innovative staging of this great work. Great visuals, accessible language, use of music and song

Don't see it if you only want your Shakespeare told as a "straight" play performed exactly as it was written.

Also My high grade is for the production which is extremely innovative while being true the original text. The actors are not all of equal quality, but some are exceptional and all do a more than acceptable job while taking on multiple roles.

If I were grading this on what I believe should be the interpretation of Shakespearean "tragedies" it would get a very low grade from me. It relies on the traditional 20th and 21st century view of this work as a tragedy because of the unnecessary deaths and the "respect" for position that those periods demand(ed). Personally, I think these should be performed as comedies - rich and powerful people behaving as badly as possible and creating the instruments of their own demise. I can't imagine anything that would be funnier to a Globe audience and it is amazing how simple Shakespeare becomes when given a comedic treatment.... Read more Read less

See it if You like bold and innovative performances that strive for greatness. A faithful version with a unique take on the staging of the play.

Don't see it if You like more traditional staging and costuming. Do not want music to play a major role. Prefer nuanced and subtle performances.

Also The play uses spandex effects and chanting and drums to create ghostly world that to me made certain scenes more effective than I have ever seen them done. I found Colton to be an unusually powerful Macbeth and the supporting performances by Nicholas Wilder as MacDuff and Audrey Tchoukoua as Banquo to be up to standing next to him. My guess is you will either be thrilled by this or find it over the top. I hope this is staged in many venues (I like the plays Teatro Circulo puts on but the accomadations are not ideal. I did not find every performance great though none I found poor. I was iffy on the costuming at first but came around to it as effective.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy fresh takes on classic plays. This one shakes up Shakespeare.

Don't see it if You want to see Shakespeare told in a classic way. This one is extremely imaginative.

See it if you like great staging and are looking for a different take on a story you might know well. You don't mind sitting through a long play.

Don't see it if you're looking for classical Shakespeare staging, you don't like experimental and innovative plays.

See it if you'd like to experience a fresh take on a familiar tragedy, one that foregrounds & integrates the scenic & sonic elements.

Don't see it if you prefer your Shakespeare traditional.

Also First Maria Ensemble’s “MACBETH” is a fascinating, quirky take on the familiar tragedy that foregrounds the production’s scenic & sonic elements while never slighting the play. A looping tube of white stretch fabric nearly encircles the playing space. During the performance it fills & empties with anonymous bodies, the full ensemble, playing the weird sisters as a multiheaded, many-limbed chorus, & intruding on the action at other times, to offer Macbeth the famous “dagger of the mind” for example, creepy magic appropriate to the text. To this highly choral chorus add a dense, percussive score. Toga-like costumes are gray, white or black with red accents such as the royal couple’s crowns, the streaming fabric that designates gouts of blood & the branches of Birnam Wood. The famous speeches feel as formal as the succession of meticulously composed pictures. None of this gets precious because it’s all so well integrated & serves a strong concept rooted in the text.... Read more Read less

See it if a different way of presenting Shakespeare would be of interest to you

Don't see it if if you like big productions in a comfortable venue.

Also Actors were all very good, especially T. Colton as Macbeth.

See it if You like Shakespeare and don't mind staging variations to classic plays.

Don't see it if You are looking for something that looks like a traditional Shakespeare play or don't like mild discomfort.

See it if You want a different take on this Shakespearean play. Dark staging, gave the feel of z horror movie.

Don't see it if If you want a bigger, more lavish production.

See it if You are a fan of Shakespeare's Scottish play. The acting was powerful. The staging was interesting--reminiscent of a horror film.

Don't see it if You don't have the patience to watch Macbeth in it's entirety.

See it if If you are a Shakespeare fan and also open to a different take on this classic

Don't see it if You cannot follow Shakespeare text or if like your plays staged in a traditional manner.

See it if You'd like to see a small-scale Shakespeare production that uses innovative visuals and music.

Don't see it if You haven't seen more traditional versions of Macbeth before.

See it if You're open to a darker, theatrical presentation of Macbeth with song, chant, Kabuki masks and witches as a focal point.

Don't see it if You would dislike experimental Sheakespeare in black box, with both exceptional and weaker acting, and odd casting.

Also The actor playing Macbeth, though talented, shouts, all of his lines. The actress playing Lady Macbeth, fades in and out of accent, and appears under and over reactive to text.

It's a total shame, as elsewhere in the ensemble are exceptional actors who could easily add to the quality of this production and improve an otherwise creative, ambitious and innovative endeavor.

I enjoyed the original music and chants, the use of color, and lighting/visual effects.

I did not get how the focus on the witches correlated to today's political climate, when the play, as wrtten, does this on it's own.

Theater was uncomfotably warm and chairs uncomfotable for a play if this length.... Read more Read less

See it if you'd like a new presentation of Shakespeare's play. It has wonderful staging that brings the tale a refreshing look. Choral singing is good

Don't see it if Shakespeare is not for you - the language is still difficult and it is sometimes rapid-fire. Seating and sightline not the best 4 long play

See it if you're up for an avant-garde rendition of Macbeth.

Don't see it if you're in the mood for something more traditionally classical.

Also I think that Shakespeare works best when done with very little spectacle, leaving space for the audience to just enjoy hearing the play and the rich poetry. First Maria did just that by keeping the set up fairly simple, yet edgy and bold. I commend their bravery in choosing to use fabric covering bodies as a theme, and to work with these mystical, misshapen forms. Overall, it proved to be effectively creepy, but in some moments the music and the staging was distracting from the haunting nature of the fabric-beings.
Generally, the cast was made up of great classical actors who understand how to use the text and be truthful. Actors who played Banquo and Macduff gave particularly moving performances.
The lighting design and musical accompaniment were very effective in supporting the action, but not distracting from it.
Overall, it's an edgy interpretation, still hitting on the classic moments you're expecting to experience.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see MacBeth. There were a few scenes that were really well done. Most of it was kind of boring and weird.

Don't see it if You have a Spandex allergy. The costumes and staging were really weird (in a bad way).

See it if You want to support a new theatre ensemble as they navigate their way through some very ambitious work in an intimate setting.

Don't see it if You long for cohesive even direction and acting.

Also This production of The First Maria Ensemble is truly a testament to ambition & some very interesting and earnest concepts. There are many different great ideas happening in this piece, and some fine performances. The issue was it wasn't cohesive. Creating a wildly uneven tone with each of the artists and their delivery of each performance. While individually they all had very nice moments and were good actors, when one is using the term "ensemble" it is paramount that the company acts as a unit all in the same "world" of the play. The heightened quality of Macbeth calls for much anguish and drama, which was reacted to on varying degrees. Also, the staging that was used with the special fabric was incredibly effective. However, the basic blocking of the show was lacking. The actors all did a fine job with their vocal choices and handled the text expertly. The potential this ensemble has is tremendous. All the pieces are there. I look forward to seeing them continue to grow.... Read more Read less

See it if you find the art for the show extremely engaging. (That is what it mostly looks like.) The language is spoken evenly. It's adequate. Boring.

Don't see it if you are well-versed in Macbeth productions and like the intensity, sexuality, and violence that can create edgy, awesome interpretations.

See it if You enjoy experimental theatre. You like non-traditional interpretations of Shakespeare. You want unique staging.

Don't see it if You want to hear.the natural music of the text rather than an off-beat style w/ too much ambient music. You want a classically trained cast.

Also I'm all for new interpretations of Shakespeare, as long as they make sense with the text & characters. The choices made here clashed with the poetry & made it into a muddled mess. This was weird just to be weird & felt like an Experimental Theatre 101 final project. This was not for me.... Read more Read less

See it if you like experimental theater, having the cast singing Shakespeare's lines while writhing inside a fiber tube.

Don't see it if you prefer a more polished production.

Also The concept of focusing on the witches was intriguing, but the staging got way out of hand. I never walk out on a play during intermission, but I did this time - with at least a couple of other audience members.... Read more Read less

See it if You are a fan of Shakespeare and are curious to see new and creative presentations of his work. And love having a musical ingredient added.

Don't see it if You aren't willing to put in the work to see and follow a Shakespeare play or are a purist who gets upset with experimentation.

Also The use of musical elements, the staging, and the sets are unusual and in many ways quite successful. A hint of Greek Tragedy adds an interesting quality, too. Because of the cast playing multiple roles, there is an occasional confusion of who's who.... Read more Read less