'tis the season for creepy Shakespeare

[kittenscribble]

Last night, I went with K and his parents to the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company production of "Macbeth among the Haunted Ruins." The audience got to follow the action from place to place among the ruins at PFI Historic Park, a really neat concept. The effect was supposed to be kind of like eavesdropping on the Macbeth household throughout the play. In practice things were a bit awkward, as people scrambled for places to sit and stand during scene-change moments, but at times it turned out really cool.

My favorite scene was the banquet hall, where the audience became a crowd of guests; we all sat around at long tables, and Lady Macbeth's embarrassment at her husband's behavior was palpable. "Honey, you're losing it in front of all these nice people..."

The ruins added a lot of wonderful ambiance to the play; shadows flickered up the broken white walls, and creepy sounds played just out of sight. A few violent "offstage" moments took place in the dark beyond the lights, so the audience could hear the sounds of fighting and dying but could not see the action. The final scene was held outside, where the audience stood in a ragged ring and men ran back and forth across the clearing, shouting and waving swords. It was all really neat.

They're on for one more weekend; for $25 per, I thought it was totally worth it. Just make sure you dress warmly, wear comfy shoes, and have a flashlight with you -- the path back down the hill is a little steep, and dark.

Comments

[examorata.livejournal.com]

Every year, I mean to go to this, and I always manage to forget. Glad to hear a positive review! Don't know if I can squish it in this weekend but I'll definitely keep it in mind.

[kittenscribble.livejournal.com]

I've been to their summer shows at the ruins before, but this Halloweeny nighttime show was new to me. It was definitely cool.

We'll probably go to their outdoor show next year too -- I'll try to remember to let people know beforehand. :)

[p-sunshine.livejournal.com]

That sounds awesome!

[kittenscribble.livejournal.com]

It was cool. And convenient, too; it's rare that I only have to drive 15 min for Shakespeare. (Or, in this case, have neonnova drive 15 min.)