A trio of the most iconic and sought-after male title roles in world theater are currently being tackled Off-Broadway in a variety of productions ranging from wickedly sublime (DruidShakespeare’s Richard III) to well-intentioned but wrongheaded. Macbeth is regarded as just as juicy a role as Richard and even more complex, since he transforms from a fairly decent sort into a tyrannous monster, set on either by his own demons or the supernatural forces represented by the three witches, depending on your interpretation. However, Classic Stage Company’s bare-bones production, staged by the company’s artistic director John Doyle, fails to strike any fires. This is something of a surprise since Doyle created many stirring renditions of both plays and musicals in London, on and Off-Broadway, with minimal sets and props.
On a bare stage, a small ensemble plays all the Macbeth roles—they chant the witches’ lines together—racing through the Bard’s dark tale as if their goal was to reach the end rather than convey Shakespeare’s themes of overweening ambition. A “spooky” Halloween atmosphere prevails instead of a genuine milieu of fear and dread. During suspenseful sequences, the cast hums what sounds like a macabre version of “Danny Boy” like a pack of students in a high-school haunted house.
Corey Stoll’s Thane starts off blandly and then turns petulant rather than sinister. He comes across as a spoiled teenager rather than a despotic tyrant. There is no sizzle between him and his Lady Macbeth, a tepid Nadia Bowers, even though the actors are married in real life. Raffia Bar Soumian’s Malcolm and Barzin Akhavan’s Macduff lacks power and drive. At least Mary Beth Piel provides weight as a dignified Duncan.
