Makbet

See it if you want an adventure. The unusual environment emphasizes the ritual & magic at the center of MacBeth. An unique performance experience

Don't see it if you are unfamiliar with Macbeth. The company changes roles using costume pieces to indicate which character they are playing at each moment.

See it if You are interested in a quintessential off-off Broadway immersive theatre experience. Storage container, recycling facility, vodka - check!

Don't see it if you only like classical Shakespeare productions, don't like Brooklyn or sitting on milk crates. But you'd be missing out.

See it if You are into experimental, edgy and intense theatre.

Don't see it if You are claustrophobic.

Also Makbet is a deep intense experience. After living Sleep No More I fell into Shakespeare. This interpretation in a containet is so great thst it is a time machine to the past, a glimpse into the future and a mirror of our present. The idea is timeless, the acting is superb, the location magical. How I love this perfomance... This is my kind of experience!... Read more Read less

See it if you like unique playing spaces (a shipping container to house the production & audience), generous small theater companies & u know the plot

Don't see it if you're claustrophobic or a Shakespeare purist. The decision to have actors jump in whenever they wish to take over a role makes it muddy.

See it if you aren't freaked out by interactive theater, sing-alongs in other languages, and know the story of Macbeth well. The characters switch off

Don't see it if The seating is overturned milk crates (v. uncomfortable for 95 minutes); they feed you vodka & sausage & make you sing. It's quite mystical.

Also I still don't really know how I felt about this... You arrive to the site, which is a recycling plant (??), and it feels like you've landed somewhere in Eastern Europe. The show begins around a trashcan fire, with singing along to folk tunes, accompanied by an accordion. Be prepared to be put on the spot by the actors, handed a piece of sausage, and offered a shot of vodka. It's uncomfortable. Then, after about 20 minutes, they lead you into the shipping container. The actual performance itself was otherworldly -- there are three actors playing all the parts, with a chorus singing underneath them. The singing was probably the best part -- it lends a haunting quality to the performance. All in all, this wasn't quite my jam, but I'm also not mad that I went. But be prepared for a weeeeird night.... Read more Read less

See it if You like when classics are performed in unique places and small casts that do a lot. Know Macbeth pretty well and like "old country" music.

Don't see it if You can't deal with actors playing more than one part or when actors interact with audience members.

Also The seats are pretty uncomfortable but the experience is unique so I didn't really notice until I got up at the end of the play.

How they use the shipping container is pretty cool in and of itself.... Read more Read less

See it if you are looking for something a bit different. Three actors (aided by 3 musicians) trade off all the roles -- and it works remarkably well.

Don't see it if you are claustrophobic or uncomfortable sitting on a milk crate for 90 mins.

See it if you'd like theater as it once was: a community around a "fire" that relied on words, songs, & imagination (not sets, costumes, celebrities).

Don't see it if you expect a big budget, comfy seats, or consistent accents. You're claustrophobic, sensitive to smells, or not familiar w/the story.

Also MAKBET relies on the core of good theater (i.e., well-crafted words, committed actors, & the audience feeling immersed in it all), making this one of my favorite Shakespeare productions in the last few years. The show deserves a 90+ score... it really drew me in!

So many recent Shakespeare productions try so hard to be "innovative/clever/modern" they neglect the story & leave me feeling flat/unmoved. Example: The Public's recent Sam Gold-directed HAMLET.

MAKBET isn't for everyone (details below), but huge thanks to Dzieci Theater for reminding me how striking the bard's words can be.

Where this wasn't so great (& it lost points) was in physical comforts:
(1) Milk Crate seats: I sat on a thin blanket they provide & my sweater, but shifted the whole time trying to find a comfortable way to sit.
(2) The smell: Maybe I have a sensitive nose, but I held my breath the whole time vs. ambient recycling center smell. Didn't notice so much after the 1st murder tho when the action picks up.... Read more Read less

See it if You don't mind meeting in a shipping container in a recycling plant. And if you're familiar with Macbeth

Don't see it if You do not know the story of Macbeth, or if you're expecting a traditional play. This is highly experimental but it pays off

Also The actors shift effortlessly between roles. It may be confusing if you are not familiar with the source material.... Read more Read less

See it if You want an experience. Pre-show interactions were fun and charming. The actual show was well acted and the acapella singing was dramatic.

Don't see it if You can't sit on a crate for more than an hour. You need everything to be set up and clear. You don't like dim or self-lit lighting.

Also I had fun with this gypsy band of actors. I would see another show they did in this format. The venue was a little out there but it added to the mystery.... Read more Read less

See it if you are willing to give yourself over to an experience. You are familiar with Shakespeare's text and open to a no traditional exploration.

Don't see it if you need a literal staging and a comfortable seat.

See it if you want to experience theater in a way you perhaps haven't before and enjoy an immersive, intense experience.

Don't see it if you don't enjoy immersive theater, you are not fond of confined spaces.

See it if you want a good time. No, I mean it. That's this entire thing in a nutshell. I don't need to repeat that it's immersive or that it's indie.

Don't see it if you only want traditional interpretations of Macbeth.

Also This isn't immersive theatre; immersive theatre is still an illusion. This is real. This is the true melding of actor and audience, of life and art. Go hang out with these guys before and after the show. Drink some vodka, eat some bread, sing some ditties and enjoy the company of one another.... Read more Read less

See it if you are an open person who loves a true New York experience and loves Shakespeare in all its glory.

Don't see it if Sitting on a milk crate in a shipping container in a recycling yard in Bushwick does not appeal to you.

See it if You like innovative and creative adaptations of Shakespeare; talented, high-energy actors, and unique, fun audience experiences.

Don't see it if You like traditional theater or the weather is hot (no AC in a shipping container).

Also My husband and I love to see different takes on Shakespeare's works - this was a fun, creative, and impressive adaption of Macbeth. We both left feeling refreshed, energized, and amazed by this fantastic experience. We saw it last year, are coming back this year, and we've sent friends who've loved it too. Go!... Read more Read less

See it if You want solid Shakespeare performed in a non-traditional manner w/Eastern European stylings. You enjoy immersive theatre.

Don't see it if You hate closed-in spaces and/or extended periods of darkness. You dislike immersive theatre. You like traditional Shakespeare w/no add-ins.

Also If you're looking for something a little different, this is for you. The cast is entertaining & trained in the classics, so the verse is done well. The immersive-ness mostly works: they could've done a bit less w/the "Old Country" (their wording) stylings: it worked for the pre-show, though it was awkward for the end. They didn't set a clear line between the end of the performance & hanging out w/the actors. A "Thank you for coming. Please feel free to stay with us" statement would've made it clear. Overall, it was enjoyable & worth the trip to Brooklyn.... Read more Read less

See it if You want a unique immersive experience with great acting and full commitment to entertaining

Don't see it if You are at all claustrophobic, can't sit on a milkcrate for the duration, hate immersive and loud sounds spook you

See it if you like unconventional stagings of Shakespeare, small casts, and surprisingly excellent acapella music.

Don't see it if you're claustrophobic, or you're a Shakespeare purist

Also The show takes place inside a shipping container inside a junkyard with not so great pavement, so I wouldn't wear heels. You're seated on plastic crates which are not comfortable, especially not for 90 minutes, so I recommend taking the blanket to put on top of the crates that the cast offers. You may also want to bring your own cushion, honestly, because the blanket was not enough.

At 6:45, there's an interactive preshow for about 15 minutes with the cast. At around 7PM, they open the container and you can grab a seat/plastic crate. Don't come before 6:45, because they won't be ready and you'll just have to wait around the junkyard awkwardly (there's nothing else on the block to look at or do).

Also, there's not really a bathroom, only an 'outhouse' of sorts. So use the facilities before you arrive and go easy on the liquids or you could be in for an uncomfortable night.... Read more Read less

See it if you'd enjoy a communal experience rife with ritual, music, food and drink, and a masterful Macbeth performed in a shipping container

Don't see it if you dislike immersive experiences or confined spaces

See it if you know your McDuff's from your Banquo's and you want a fresh new take on the Bard's classic tragedy - it's a fantastic evening, enjoy!

Don't see it if intense theatre isn't your sort of thing, you struggle with intimate and tight performance spaces, or if you don't know Macbeth at all

Also This new production of Macbeth (or Makbet in the language of the 'Old Country' where all the artists are from) is simply fantastic.

Each of the performers knows the entire script (as is one of the stated rules...) and so throughout the evening, each will take on the role of any number of the characters, instantly transforming into someone new, and immediately carrying on from where others have left off. It's incredible to watch, and the joyfulness of the performers exudes to the audience.

It's a tight space, very intimate, so be prepared for that - the pre-show and post-show antics are great, and really add to the atmosphere of the evening. This company really has been able to transport Macbeth into a new realm of mythical folklore and story telling. Fantastic.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy style over substance. The concept seems to be this company's only concern, not the text that they're performing.

Don't see it if you don't have a solid grasp of The Scottish Play or want to see actors bring something new or interesting to classic roles.

Also I love this play, but I'm hardly a purist. Adaptations and new concepts excite me...this one just missed the mark.... Read more Read less

See it if you know Macbeth pretty well and you want to see a very different, sometimes powerful version of it.

Don't see it if you don't like small spaces or can't sit on a milk crate. Also, if you have social anxiety, DO NOT GET THERE EARLY.

Also I wish they had just done it without the fake accents and the gypsy gimmick. It would've been a lot more powerful.... Read more Read less

See it if You'd enjoy an evening with Eastern European Shakespearean fortune tellers in a shipping container in a junkyard (uh, recycling center)

Don't see it if You don't like experimental, immersive Shakespeare or Balkan style music, the smell of compost and a close, dark playing space

Also Makbet felt like a real adventure. The players greeted the audience as we entered the recycling yard in Bushwick with song, dance, liquor and a bonfire. We then sat on milk crates inside a shipping container for the performance. Three actors deftly switched between all the parts, with high energy, and lots more Balkan singing from the supporting cast. Don't expect deep character studies in Makbet - but the overall conception brought out the ritual aspects of the weird sisters and the dark descent of the "Makbets" - my favorite moments were the quietest ones, when you could hear the drip of the rain on the metal roof. The eerie glint of the low level lighting in audience members eyeglasses was reminiscent of "Sleep No More." Overall, I enjoyed this experience.... Read more Read less

See it if You're game You like the idea of spitting your troubles into a burning trash barrel You want the Macbeth's punches to shake the walls

Don't see it if You assume Shakespeare is always boring. You think theater is just for watching. Sitting on a milk crate for 1 hr+ would hurt your back.

See it if You like creative, intimate, intense stagings. You're a fan of interpretive physicality, versatile acting, and great ensemble chemistry.

Don't see it if You don't like loud, aggressive interpretations. You aren't familiar with the plot of Macbeth. You're bothered by uncomfortable seating.