10.06.08
Lee1990 Theatrical Review - Great Lakes Theater Festival - Macbeth
This is not a movie, so don’t go looking for it.
I recently saw a unique performance of Shakespeare’s Macbeth at the Hanna Theater in Cleveland as part of the Great Lakes Theater Festival. While the story and dialogue were pure Shakespeare, the setting, costumes and style of presentation were heavily influenced by Japanese theater. There was a sort of music background applied by use of a pair of Japanese-style drummers positioned on either side of the stage. They gave a traditional yell before starting to drum and both the start and end of the play.
The costumes were a odd mix of Japanese samurai kimonos and medieval Scottish garb, the armor had a Roman feel to it, and the swords were a mix of samurai and broadsword elements. When consulting with Macbeth, his nobles sat in a kneeling position with swords sheathed but pointed upward in Samurai fashion.
The most Japanese part of the play was by far the portrayal of the three witches. They could have been drawn from a Kabuki theater. They were costumed in jet black robes with white painted faces, and moved in a unnatural, jerky, stooped over fashion by leaning on canes at the end of their arms, concealed beneath their robes. They were very similar to the way ghosts and evil spirits are portrayed in Japanese stage theater and horror movies.
The combination successfully juxtaposed two very old and very different theatrical styles, making for a unique experience. I recommend anyone who will be visiting the Northeast Ohio area to make an effort to see this play.
