Hobnob Theatre delivers a haunting ‘Macbeth’
Butler’s Hobnob Theatre Company long ago solidified its status as a regional institution with standout performances of Shakespeare in the Park.
This fall, they bring the Bard indoors with Shakespeare’s shortest, bloodiest and most chaotic play, “The Tragedy of Macbeth.”
“Macbeth” is a tragic tale of ambition and moral decay, the story of a Scottish nobleman driven to murder and tyranny ultimately leading to his downfall.
The production puts its triumphant spin on the show with a terrifying and beautiful spectacle of witches, ghosts, murder and madness compressed into its intimate downtown Butler venue to create the ideal theatre experience for October’s spooky season.
Director Ken Smith maximizes the potential of the small space, employing a split-scene effect to depict murders and relying on sound and light to immerse the audience in his dark, foreboding version of Scotland. The use of shadows and minimalistic props convey a sense of unease, while the sound design, punctuated by haunting music, drumbeats, thunder, crickets and even raven caws, adds an extra layer of tension.
The proximity of the actors allows the audience to feel footfalls resonating through their seats, heightening the intensity of the fight scenes and revealing the blood and tears streaming down the actors’ faces. These moments are so well-choreographed that the audience is nearly convinced that real menace is at hand.
The production's dark tone is mirrored in its lighting choices, with slashes of red and blue playing across the actors' faces as calamity unfolds. Costumes are richly detailed, featuring tartan and dirks, with metal armaments jingling ominously. Special effects, like the witches' cauldron, are eerily effective, drawing the audience into the sparse yet captivating set.
The witches (Kari-Anne Innes, Amy Dittman and Casey Hoolahan) open the show with their dark magic, weaving and wheezing as they prepare their ominous prophecy for the power-hungry Macbeth, setting the tone for the chaos to come. Their chemistry and synchronization in delivering cryptic lines, expressive gestures and powerful vocalization evoke a sense of foreboding and manipulate the audience's perception of the real and unreal.
Kevin Vespaziani, as Macbeth, navigates the character’s descent into madness with a haunted expression, capturing both ambition and guilt. His soliloquies are delivered in a whispery, pained voice, demanding the audience lean into his words. In the second act, Vespaziani's deep, hollow eyes reflect Macbeth’s complete surrender to evil.
Deanna Sparrow portrays Lady Macbeth with fierce determination, exuding chilling energy as she oscillates between nurturing and emasculating her husband. Her delivery of the famous “Out, damned spot” scene is filled with palpable anguish.
The bad guys may have the best lines, but the good guys are no less compelling. Craig Adams fills King Duncan, Macbeth’s victim, with a benevolence that makes his murder all the more shocking.
His son Malcolm, played by Noah Reed, embodies the rightful heir to the throne with quiet dignity as a man thrust into a situation far beyond his control. Daniel Williams as Macduff brings a sense of suspicion and righteous indignation in moments large and small, possessing a compelling stage presence as he seamlessly moves from anger to grief to bloody retribution after the murder of his family.
The size of the show demands a doubling of roles and the actors rise admirably to the challenge. Casey Bowser brings his commanding baritone and assured stage presence as the warrior Banquo and then showcases his range by doubling as the timid doctor, fearful of Lady Macbeth’s descent into insanity.
Providing a break from so much death and destruction, Jack Senske, as a drunken porter, shines at physical comedy in an extended audience interaction, then shifts to a quiet intensity when delivering the heartbreaking news of the slaughter of Macduff’s family. So effective are their physical transformations that the witches are unrecognizable in their other roles.
Dittman plays Macbeth’s servant Seyton with a weary resignation. Innes, along with Williams and Adams, plays one of a disturbing trio of murders. Hoolahan’s Gentlewoman works as a stand-in for the audience with her looks of terror and confusion as she watches Lady Macbeth unwind into madness.
The direction, design and especially the acting pull the audience through a tense, fast-paced show as the plans and misdeeds are revealed in bloody fashion. In the end, Macbeth cannot escape the witches' supernatural prophecy. But, while the weird sisters are frightening, the true horror of the play lies in the human monsters — weak-willed individuals willing to lie and murder for power and greed. This standout production from Hobnob demonstrates that while “The Tragedy of Macbeth” may be over four centuries old, people don’t change.
“The Tragedy of Macbeth” shows at the Hobnob Studio Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Oct. 18 to 20, as well as Oct. 25 and 26. Tickets are available at hobnobtheatre.com. The show runs for 120 minutes with a 15-minute intermission.
