Macbeth (Shakespeare By The Sea 2026 Production) Theatre Review

Macbeth set

Each summer, the Shakespeare By The Sea troupe takes the work of Shakespeare all over Los Angeles County and Orange County, performing in various parks throughout the region. In past years, the company has done two plays. This year, there is just one, but it's one of the great tragedies: Macbeth. And though the company has chosen to do the modern verse version by Migdalia Cruz (part of the Play On project), most of Shakespeare's language is present. The cast, led by Cylan Brown and Phoebe Alva as the Macbeths, does an excellent job in this production directed by Stephanie Coltrin. Last night, Shakespeare By The Sea brought Macbeth to Garfield Park in South Pasadena, a wonderful place to catch a performance. There was an eager and responsive crowd on this warm summer evening.

The stage contains a couple of levels, and there is a bare tree stage right, and another stage left, helping establish the mood and also playing into the idea of Macbeth's "barren scepter." Death is in the air in this play, even before the action begins, for there is that nagging question of just what happened to the baby that Lady Macbeth nursed. Next to the stage-left tree is an ornate wooden wall decorated with stars and moons, suggesting that things may be of a celestial nature and out of our hands. In images of the moon there is also the subtle suggestion of feminine power, which of course is of interest when it comes to the story of Macbeth. The set was designed by Christopher Beyries. Before the performance begins, certain items are hung on the stage-right tree, including a dagger, a crown and a small doll.

The performance begins with a battle, done in slow motion, as the three witches, wearing masks, enter from different sides of the stage. They take positions upstage, while the battle continues before them downstage. It is interesting that the witches react to the battle. They then remove the three items from the tree as the battle moves away, and take center stage themselves. On "filthy air," they lift their masks, as if to take in what the rest of us might wish to avoid. But the lifting of the masks has a further significance, as the three witches, when unmasked, take part in, or at least witness, much of the play's action. Thus the witches (played by Hadiyyah Noelle Smith, Megan Ruble, and Savannah Moffat) take on even more importance in this production, for even as they take on other roles, we in the audience still see them as the witches. What makes that even more interesting is that we sense the witches are disguised when they are without their masks rather than when wearing them. When Ross (Peter Green) enters, he is followed by one of the witches in the place of Angus. What's interesting about her presence in that scene is that she then learns that Macbeth will be named Thane of Cawdor. So, when the witches greet Macbeth by that title in the next scene, it doesn't seem like they have powers of prophecy, but rather that one of them had a little inside information. When Macbeth (Cylan Brown) and Banquo (Alec Yamartino) meet the three weird sisters, it is Macbeth that is initially fearful of them, while Banquo is not. Macbeth relaxes then for "Your children shall be kings," regaining his former disposition. When Macbeth learns he is Thane of Cawdor, he says, "The greatest is yet to come" rather than the text's "The greatest is behind." There is a wonderful moment when Macbeth reasons that he might not have to do anything to gain the crown. Cylan Brown, who was fantastic as the Ghost in that remarkable 2023 production of Hamlet (a production I hope this company revives at some point), delivers a tremendous performance as Macbeth, who conveys as much with his body language and expressions as he does with the text. When Duncan (Dylan J. Sampson) announces who he plans to succeed him, on "as our most worthy heir," Macbeth responds, suddenly realizing he might be proclaimed the next king right then, and preparing himself for such news. We see it in the change in his bearing, in his countenance. And so when Duncan finished by naming Malcolm (Ashwath Ram) as heir to the throne, Macbeth feels almost betrayed, and we see that too. And it is in that moment that we see the seeds of what is to come. Cylan does a phenomenal job. By the way, Donalbain is cut from this production, so Malcolm is Duncan's only son.

When Lady Macbeth (Phoebe Alva) enters, she carries not just Macbeth's letter but also a light, which is a really nice touch, foreshadowing her later scene when she carries a light, and drawing a connection between the two, which makes a lot of sense, for it is here that she begins to have ambitious desires. She then tears up the letter, which is odd. But perhaps in her mind the letter is evidence of her plans. What's clear to her now might not be clear to others, but she doesn't see that. Also, it might be that the pieces of her letter act as part of the spell she begins. It is not merely a wish, but a formal spell, as she holds a little bell and bids the spirits come to her. It seems it might be something she had done before, which interestingly aligns her with the witches in the audience's mind. There is a certain darkness here, which is dispelled by Macbeth's entrance and her joyful embrace of him. It's great to see their relationship in a positive light early on. Phoebe Alva delivers what is another of this production's strongest performances. When she says "Never will he see tomorrow's sun" (a change from the text's, "O, never/Shall sun that morrow see"), Macbeth turns to her, alarmed. It's a great moment, alerting the audience to Lady Macbeth's strength and will, though I do wish they had stuck strictly to Shakespeare's text. The modern verse text doesn't add anything worthwhile to the play, and takes away some of the poetry.

There is a lightness, even frivolity, to the atmosphere, seen especially when Duncan engages in a little dance on "We are your guests tonight." Of course, there is a dark humor to that light attitude, at least for those in the audience who know just what being Macbeth's guest will mean for him. During Macbeth's "If it were done" speech, Lady Macbeth enters one earlier than in the text, entering upstage on "Vaulting ambition," which feels perfect. Both Cylan and Phoebe are excellent in this scene. On Lady Macbeth's "then you were a man," she reaches out to touch him. Her "We fail" is not delivered as a question. On Mabeth's "I am resolved" (in place of the text's "I am settled"), the three witches begin to approach the stage from both sides. A brief scene with the witches is added here, leading to the scene where Macbeth speaks to Banquo and Fleance (Jurnee Woo). It is in that scene that Banquo appears worried and distrustful of Macbeth. The moment with the "dagger of the mind" speech is handled really well, with Macbeth rubbing his eyes as if to rub the vision from his sight. What's particularly remarkable is how the image seems to be attacking him, hurting him from the inside. We can see that Macbeth has begun to unravel before even committing the crime. And he is then terrified on "Macbeth shall sleep no more." On Lady Macbeth's "made them drunk hath made me bold," we can hear the effect of that alcohol in her delivery, which is fantastic. And when Lady Macbeth talks of shame at being afraid, the sudden knocking at the gate startles her, a wonderful moment. 

The Porter (Katie Herling, who was excellent as Calpurnia in last year's Julius Caesar) chooses a specific person in the audience for each of the professions mentioned in the world's first knock knock joke, making eye contact and thus drawing the audience closer to her. It's not an easy role, and Katie does a great job with it. On "till the second cock," she pauses before adding the word "crowed" (a word not in the text), and the joke works in part because the character is female here. When Macduff (Will Mueller, who was really good as Oliver in last year's production of As You Like It) wakes the household, the witches enter with everyone else, and even if they are playing different roles, it feels like they are watching the results of their own predictions, and perhaps even taking some joy in doing so. Lady Macbeth's reaction when Macbeth says he killed the two men in the king's chamber is fantastic, as she realizes he has made a mistake, that he's veered from her plan, that she has lost control. Lady Macbeth doesn't faint in this production, but calls out and is helped to her feet. Here it seems she really does need help, that she wasn't creating a diversion to distract people from her husband. Because Donalbain is cut, Malcolm delivers his "I'll to England" to Macduff. And when Macduff says "those that Macbeth hath killed," it is clear from his tone that he doesn't believe the official story.

The Porter is also the Servant that leads in the two murderers, and she remains on stage and so hears Macbeth's conversation and instructions, expressing surprise when Macbeth claims that Banquo is his enemy, and further surprise and horror when Macbeth announces that Fleance should share in his father's fate. Interestingly, that Servant then becomes the Third Murderer, taking part in the very thing that had shocked her. After the murder of Banquo takes place, the three witches stand over his body and, using their staves, control him, make him rise. That's certainly one way to get the body off the stage, and an intriguing and creepy way at that. It does, however, lead us to wonder if the witches are still controlling him when Banquo shows up at the banquet. Macbeth says "slashed the snake" rather than "scorch'd the snake," an unnecessary change. He then hugs Lady Macbeth on "full of scorpions is my mind," needing her strength, perhaps now more than ever before. As for the banquet scene, no table or chairs are used, so the lines about there not being a place are cut (though, oddly, the "to the general joy of the table" is included). While Macbeth speaks to First Murderer (Dylan J. Sampson), Lady Macbeth and the three witches engage in a dance, an intriguing stage picture. And when he is frightened by Banquo's appearance, he seeks comfort in Lady Macbeth's arms, again needing her strength.

This production uses the smallest cauldron possible, and I couldn't help but think that there was no way all the ingredients were going to fit inside. Interestingly, the apparitions enter before Macbeth and take places upstage, their faces covered. So on "or from our masters," the witches indicate those apparitions behind them. This leads to a wonderful image, as the apparitions march around Macbeth, surrounding him, which is gloriously creepy. The face of one apparition is shown to be that of Banquo, who holds the mirror to Macbeth. Megan Ruble, in addition to playing one of the witches, plays Lady Macduff, and does a great job in that scene. When she enters, she bears a letter, drawing a connection in our minds to Lady Macbeth, a really nice touch. Macduff's son (Jurnee Woo) holds a basket containing Lady Macduff's baby. A particularly striking moment in a powerful scene is when the murderer thrusts his dagger into the basket. Ashwath Ram is particularly good as Malcolm in the scene where he is testing Macduff's loyalty. We see his aims, his strategy, even when Macduff does not. And when Ross enters, startling him, Malcolm raises his sword, ready to fight, another really nice touch. Will Mueller is especially captivating when he falls to his knees after hearing the news of his family. This production allows him a moment to lament rather than rushing it, which is great.

In the sleepwalking scene, one of the witches is the Doctor, while the Porter is the Gentlewoman. Lady Macbeth kneels downstage on "Out, damned spot." She is phenomenal in this scene, making the audience feel what she feels, and to feel for her, not always easy considering what the audience has already witnessed of her. She is especially good in her delivery of "What's done cannot be undone." The Gentlewoman's "Good night, good doctor" is spoken with a certain amount of venom, as she realizes and expresses how the doctor has done nothing for Lady Macbeth, another wonderful touch. As for Birnam Wood, it is the three witches who begin holding the branches in front of their faces, and from them the others pluck branches. Again, the witches are present, in whatever form, throughout the performance, which gives a strange sort of inevitability to the proceedings, almost as if they are there to see their prophecy carried out, which is fascinating. For without them, very little of it would have happened. Macbeth would have been named Thane of Cawdor (for he was before he met them), and that would have been it. It can be argued that the witches' words themselves caused the witches' initial prophecy to come true. But the witch as Doctor is completely ineffectual, unable to effect any change within Lady Macbeth. And so of course Macbeth's line "Cure her of that" is met with laughter from the audience. It might be a wild thing to demand of even the most skilled of doctors, but here, particularly in this production, it is quite clear this doctor is unable to do anything at all for her.

My favorite speech in the entire canon is the "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow" speech, and Cylan Brown does an excellent job with it. There is a strong pause after the first "tomorrow," and again after the second. Interestingly, on "poor player," he places his hand over his heart, a little metatheatrical moment. He is seated for this speech, and then stands on "Liar" after receiving the news that Birnam Wood is moving. And perhaps it is because he feels invincible, and perhaps it might also be because there is a certain amount of disregard for his personal safety after his wife's death, but there is an exciting and wild moment when Macbeth sets aside his sword and, unarmed, faces Young Siward (Jurnee Woo). He is even winning his battle with Macduff, at one point holding both swords. And though he does have both weapons, upon hearing that Macduff was from his mother's womb untimely ripped, Macbeth grows fearful. Yet he proves himself honorable in that moment, tossing Macduff's sword back to him before the battle resumes. It is an exciting conclusion to a fantastic performance.

This production of Macbeth has been up since late June, and runs through July 25th. Tonight the play is being again performed at Garfield Park in South Pasadena, so folks in that area have a second chance to enjoy it. After that, there are performances in Beverly Hills, Aliso Viejo and Redondo Beach. Visit the company's website for the complete schedule. There is one intermission, which comes at the end of Act III Scene iv.