All Hump Macbeth!


Reviewed 10/1/05

Macbeth
by William Shakespeare
Directed by db Bailey
The Shakespeare Theatre
Phoenix Theatre's Little Theatre, Phoenix
(602) 796-2038
September 22nd - October 9th, 2005
$10.00 - $15.00
Discount tickets may be available at

Note to Director db Bailey: Colors do not a concept make. The Shakespeare Theatre’s latest creation, a black and red and occasionally blue Macbeth, seems nothing more than an excuse for Artistic Director Wes Martin to kiss and lick and dry hump eight scantily leather- and lace-clad women. Martin, whose make out sessions in prior shows like the Soprano’s Romeo and Juliet and the Bacchanalian Midsummer are nothing compared to this marathon of saliva and sweat swapping. Ordinarily, he is a strong actor who is able to create interesting choices for his Shakespearean characters, but this time it seems to be all about growling and grinding. Such is the state of this production that except for doubling the trio of leather-clad Weird Sisters by including their familiars to prance around Ashley Park’s dominatrix Hecate, it’s impossible to see actual, viable, understandable, or unified choices.

Martin knows his character’s meanings and intent, but when he and Rob Evans’ Banquo are not speaking, there’s little proof that anyone else in the production understands what they are saying. Stacie Stocker’s Lady Macbeth breezes through lines like a prompter, and she visibly times her movements to her dialogue. One of Bailey’s brightest ideas is to have the letter sent from Macbeth to her announcing his arrival and prophecy delivered as a text message on a PDA. “Wn btl. Dncn md me Thn o Crdr. Wchs sd Id b kng 2! Lv u.” As Macduff and Malcolm, Cisco Saavedra and Michael Bradley are at least understandable in delivery, but uninteresting in their presentation. Richard Hardt’s cameo as the comedic Porter is a total letdown, droning rather than delighting. It’s only Evans and his killers, Trey Clevenger and AJ Huff, and the brief appearance of Karen Draper as Lady Macduff who are consistent, communicative, and in the moment. When they enter, it’s like someone has dropped actors onstage in the midst of zombies.

Bailey’s direction is as uninspired as most of his cast. The standard movement is general wash lighting from Daniel Davisson’s two-color plot, actors clumping, a single red-gelled instrument flashing on, and an actor moving forward into the light to deliver one of the many monologues. He opens the show with a flash of the ending, throwing in Lady M’s “Unsex Me” speech behind…in French. Is this going to be a Creole Macdaddy? Nowhere else is this indicated. What was this group thinking? Were they thinking?

No set designer is credited because there is no set design, just black platforms with some red paint splattered on them. Though Shawnna Wishman is credited with costuming, I think the true designer is the person with the Castle Boutique discount. Bailey is also credited with the sound design, which features a lot of industrial music that hints the possibility that more than everyone being made up by Ava Sandberg to look Goth, perhaps the concept I was supposed to glean was a society of the children of Marilyn Manson.

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