By Caitlin Strom-Martin
Public Service Announcement: Children should not sit in the front row of an in-the-round Macbeth where the actors are conducting their story on top of the audience. Especially when said kids wave to the actors and snicker at such lines as: “… spirits … unsex me here!” I can imagine how annoying it must feel to be deep in monologue, while preadolescents squirm.
Such was opening night of Shakespeare’s tragedy, presented by The Raven Players and directed by Steven David Martin. It runs at the Raven Performing Arts Theater in Healdsburg through Nov. 9.
Much of the dark nuance of this haunting tale of the danger of unchecked power was replaced by a loud, stylized approach.
The disadvantage of staging this show in such an intimate space was that errors proved more noticeable than if there was distance between the audience and the players. It also led to distracting sightlines.
The costumes (Jeanine Gray) suffered due to this close scrutiny. It’s difficult to lose oneself in the supernatural when mysterious entities are wearing sweats, scrunchies and yoga pants. The odd purple rags and hoods weren’t evocative of much, and the hoods frequently tripped the actors up.
The sound design (Dennis Whitaker), near constant, was loud to the point of assault, then usually abruptly cut off, thus negating any illusionary hold.
The set design by Jenna Vera Dolcini with serpent iconography was intriguing, as was the use of orange paint for blood, a very physical witch ensemble and an eerie underscore.
Macbeth (Matthew T. Witthaus) stomped about the stage more concerned with his manly swagger than any of the events taking place in the play. If his desire was to make Macbeth a raging, petulant symbol of toxic masculinity, then Witthaus was quite effective. I hope this was the intention.
Katie Watts-Whitaker played Lady Macbeth as a true believer of prophecy, obsessed with power and cruelty. Therefore her downfall wasn’t as effective as it could have been if she’d layered the character more.
Subtle work came from Nicolas Augusta as the porter, and Declan Hackett as MacDuff. Tamara Brooks as the second witch had a wonderful, disturbing physicality. The choice of the three witches having an accompanying chorus of tortured souls was unique, but this construct sucked all the intensity from the Weird Sisters.
I applaud this ensemble for tackling one of the Bard’s most complex works with confidence. It’s the duty of artists to swing big, even if they miss.
‘Macbeth’ runs through Nov. 9 at the Raven Performing Arts Theater, 115 North St., Healdsburg. Fri–Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm. $10–$25. Pay what you can Thursday, Oct. 30, 7:30pm. 707.433.6335. raventheater.org
