by Brendan Hellweg ’14
Charles Raffetto has been burning the candle at both ends for this production of Macbeth. The director, stage manager, set designer, and casting agent, Mr. Raffetto has been responsible for every aspect of the play. Some people complain about the responsibilities that even one of these tasks can bring, but to take on all of them is quite a burden to say the least. However, under all this pressure, Mr. Raffetto managed to shine and the play was extremely enjoyable for the audience. From what I’ve heard, the production was a blast for those who chose to act in it as well.
Upon entering the theater it was nearly impossible not to notice the gorgeous set. On both the stage and above the audience, ropes hung from the catwalks. A primarily minimalistic set, the ropes were the only part that was not full black or stone colored and represented the “strings of fate” that the witches seemed to weave for Macbeth.
Macbeth is an extremely dark, somber play. No true happy ending exists besides the death of the protagonist, and even the story of the “conquering” Macduff, played by Timi Onafowokan, ended in sorrow, with his entire family brutally murdered. Besides the humorous monologue by a drunken porter, played by my friend, Henry Lombino, which was a rather lecherous shining light in the otherwise depressing play, there was no part that didn’t make you want to cringe at how cruel people could be. In this play Shakespeare gapes into the depths of guilt murder bestows on an ambitious man.
The acting was excellent, although at points I could not hear everything the actors were saying. Not everyone thought that the “no flash photography” rule was anything more than the vaguest of guidelines, as evidenced by the woman with the camera who happened to sit near me the night I went to the play. Kiernan Zehring played an excellent Macbeth. His breastplate was far too large for him highlighting how he was no real extraordinary man who had thrust himself into the most extraordinary and depraved of circumstances. Macbeth’s cutthroat dagger was nothing in comparison to his soon-to-be killers’ swords. Kiernan acted with skill and vicious anger, an excellent way of showing a lowly thane whose level of power was earned only through battle and murder. Lady Macbeth, played by Lindsey Dirats, was excellent as the half-mad wife. She demonstrated strength and courage from her first scene to her last.
Mr. Raffetto’s use of the witches throughout the play gave the production an overall unity that worked artistically and added to the sense of doom that pervaded the play. The three actresses, Emma Hing, Sarah Hubbard, and Kate Glowatsky, used considerable acting and dancing skills to animate the backdrop they provided.
The only parts of Macbeth that I did not enjoy were the fight scenes, which were given surprisingly little attention for such a large part of the play. The actors looked like twelve year olds playing with sticks, not warriors fighting for their lives. I couldn’t imagine how these sections were given so little thought. However, these almost laughable moments were more than balanced by the excellent acting, tasteful costumes, and beautiful set design of the rest of the production. I hope that this show was seen and appreciated by many, and that everyone else enjoyed it as much as I did. It earned some serious attention and was absolutely worth an evening at the theater.
