ASP’s ‘Macbeth’ Is a Muddled Mashup of Time, Place and Tone

October 23, 2025October 23, 2025 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Omar Robinson, Brooke Hardman in Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s ‘Macbeth’
Photos by Benjamin Rose Photography.

‘Macbeth’ — Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Christopher V. Edwards. Presented by Actors’ Shakespeare Project at Mosesian Center for the Arts, Watertown through October 26.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Ten minutes into ASP’s production of Macbeth, my friend leaned over and whispered, “I thought we were seeing Macbeth.”

He wasn’t being a smart aleck; he was astutely stating the obvious. While it seems au courant (at least in Boston) to catapult timeless Shakespeare into other eras with disco, hip hop, and gratuitous references to current headlines, Actors Shakespeare Project, under the direction of Christopher V. Edwards, proves definitively that it is possible to overreach and completely miss your mark.

ASP’s ‘Macbeth’ is Imaginative, Disquieting

October 7, 2025October 8, 2025 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s ‘Macbeth’ Photos by Benjamin Rose Photography.

‘Macbeth’– Written by William Shakespeare; Directed by Christopher V. Edwards; Featuring Brooke Hardman, Jade Guerra, Jesse Hinson, Jennie Israel, Brian Demar Jones, Claire Mitchell, Vince Nguyen, Amanda Esmie Reynolds, Omar Robinson, Chingwe Padraig Sullivan, Dennis Trainor Jr.; Scenic Design Danielle Ibrahim; Sound Design by Julian Crocamo; Lighting Design Elmera Martinez; Costume Design Marissa Wolf; Sound Design Mackenzie Adamick; Production Design Sue Rees; Audio Engineer Irene Wang; Fight Director Naomi Kim. Presented by Actors Shakespeare Project, Boston, MA, through October 26.

By C.J. Williams

Macbeth, as you know, is one of those plays that takes sanity and hope and puts them through a meat grinder. Once you’ve seen Macbeth, you’ve seen not only that blood will out, but that blood will douse, drench, and seep through skin into the deepest crevices of your heart, mind, and conscience. But what if you want to make it more disquieting? Perhaps this is what Director Christopher V. Edwards and the Actors’ Shakespeare Project team asked themselves as they planned this year’s production of the iconic play. How about staging the political and relational shenanigans during the Cold War?

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Delivers a Thrilling “MacBeth” to the Boston Common

July 29, 2023 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of Macbeth on the Boston Common in Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s “Macbeth.”
(Nile Scott Studios)

“Macbeth” by William Shakespeare. Directed by Steven Maler. Presented by Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. On the Boston Common, through August 6.

By Michele Markarian

As smoke ominously fills the stage set for Commonwealth Shakespeare’s rousing production of “Macbeth,” there’s a feeling of hushed anticipation over the significant crowd that’s gathered at the Common. Now in its 27^th year of bringing free Shakespeare to Boston audiences, Commonwealth Shakespeare’s productions are accessible and riveting to witness. This year is no exception. With the text running on a screen beside the stage, the drama is easy to follow, should you need it.

Don’t Say His Name…The Underlings Take on the Scottish Play

April 10, 2019 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Underlings Theatre Co. production of ‘Macbeth’

Review by James Wilkinson

‘Macbeth’ – Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Daniel Thomas Blackwell. Scenic Design: Zachary A. L. Stern. Lighting Design: Erik Fox. Projection Design: Elizabeth Gove. Costume Design: Evelyn Quinn. Music and Sound Design: Josh Garcia. Fight Director: Lauren Squier. Presented by the Underlings Theatre Co April 5-13, 2019 at the Mosesian Center for the Arts.

As I said to my friend as we left the venue, it’s just not theater unless it ends with a severed head in a bag. On this, it would seem that William Shakespeare and I are on the same page, at least when it comes to his tragedies (though imagine how a severed head in a bag might liven up the ending of The Comedy of Errors. Oh, the possibilities!). You might find something strangely familiar in the air when attending the Underlings Theatre Co.’s production of Macbeth. That’s by design. For their fifth (and sadly final in Boston) production, the Underlings have found inspiration for their take on the Bard’s story in a bevy of modern horror movies. There’s a dash of Evil Dead, a smattering of Paranormal Activity, and a whole lot of The Blair Witch Project. To lay my cards on the table, I’ll say that Macbeth has long been my favorite Shakespeare play, so the Underlings probably could have done the show as a staged reading with scripts in hand and I’d have loved the show. My own personal bias aside, though, I still think there’s a lot to recommend this production of Macbeth, not least of all a fantastic lead performance and handful of visuals that tap into the eerie nature of the play.

Trinity Rep’s ‘MacBeth’ as Timely as Ever

January 31, 2019February 6, 2019 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Mauro Hantman as Macbeth and Julia Atwood as Lady Macbeth (Mark Turek photos)

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Trinity Repertory Company’s current show in their 55th season is the tale of “Macbeth”, by William Shakespeare, about political ambition and how that ambition can destroy a person as well as the multitude of people around them. “Macbeth” could have been written about the times we are now living in about the cost of blind ambition in our culture and how a sense of honor should triumph over that ambition. The show is set in modern times with a DJ playing contemporary music and many allusions to contemporary society. Macbeth is tempted by three mysterious witches who place a curse on him and he is pushed by his wife to overthrow King Duncan of Scotland. This act leads to a domino effect of killing off Macbeth’s enemies as the show progresses, making it one of Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedies. Director Curt Columbus makes this show accessible to contemporary audiences with his brilliant direction and casting these roles perfectly. “Macbeth” definitely stands the test of time with its story of absolute power corrupting absolutely. It’s a scary comparison to current events that one would never have thought could happen again, and the show wins a well-deserved standing ovation.