The 4^th Witch − Concept and direction by Drew Dir; Devised by Dir, Sarah Forance and Julia Miller; Original score and sound design by Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter; Mask Design by Julia Miller; Lighting Design by David Goodman‑Edberg; Costume / Wig Design by Sully Ratke. Presented by Manual Cinema at the Robert J. Orchard Stage, Emerson Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Boston, through November 9.

By Mike Hoban

Manual Cinema has once again returned to the ArtsEmerson stages with their unfathomably unique brand of theatrical storytelling with The 4th Witch, a mind-bending work “inspired by” Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Told via shadow puppetry using live actors blended with silhouette cutouts beamed onto a movie screen by overhead projectors, the action is augmented by a haunting score played by a live ensemble with vocals. As the action is being projected onto the screen, the audience can simultaneously watch the actors and technicians dart around the stage to produce the images, while the three-piece ensemble (cello, violin, and keyboards), placed at the front of the stage, plays and sings.