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| Image Sourced by Classical Theatre of Harlem |
With the temperature hanging hot and humid in Harlem it was perfect for a tropical re-imagining of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” produced by the Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH) and staged in the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park. The stage design immediately took you back to the colonial West Indies, with its colors, window treatments, burlap draping, and intricate properties. However, director Carl Colfield, and his team keep the Caribbean aesthetic fresh with contemporary Jamaican, and Eastern Caribbean notes wafting through the music, the movement, the fabrics, taking liberties with the language, and even coloring the villainy that plays out before us. Hats off to all the creators for immersing us into a world that was easy to navigate as our imaginations went wild, but never too far off.
For those who maybe unfamiliar with the play, in short, Macbeth gets a prophecy from witches that he is to rule, but with the king being alive this poses a problem. He shares the prophecy with his wife Lady Macbeth. Thus is birthed not only a double ambition to get the crown, but a great plot, and a thirst for evil so relentless it’s legendary. The play remains one of Shakespeare’s most popular and quoted works.
CTH’s artistic director Ty Jones sits in the title role of Macbeth with ease, and though there were some questionable choices made, it was a strong performance. The stage however, belonged to Roslyn Ruff as Lady Macbeth. From her first entrance to her last exit she lifted the bars of the Bard’s muscular language and threw them at us with precision, passion, and painful purpose… she was on point, and you felt every piercing moment of it. CTH favorite Anthony Vaughn Merchant once again satisfied his Harlem audience with his accessible sense of humor and charisma as the Porter. CTH followers will remember him fondly from last year’s “The Tempest.”
For those who maybe unfamiliar with the play, in short, Macbeth gets a prophecy from witches that he is to rule, but with the king being alive this poses a problem. He shares the prophecy with his wife Lady Macbeth. Thus is birthed not only a double ambition to get the crown, but a great plot, and a thirst for evil so relentless it’s legendary. The play remains one of Shakespeare’s most popular and quoted works.
CTH’s artistic director Ty Jones sits in the title role of Macbeth with ease, and though there were some questionable choices made, it was a strong performance. The stage however, belonged to Roslyn Ruff as Lady Macbeth. From her first entrance to her last exit she lifted the bars of the Bard’s muscular language and threw them at us with precision, passion, and painful purpose… she was on point, and you felt every piercing moment of it. CTH favorite Anthony Vaughn Merchant once again satisfied his Harlem audience with his accessible sense of humor and charisma as the Porter. CTH followers will remember him fondly from last year’s “The Tempest.”
The witches were a wonderful spectacle, and so too were the dancers. This had much to do with Rachel Dozier-Ezell’s costuming, and the smart choreography of Tiffany Rea-Fisher – a combination that enhanced Colfield’s overall concept, and the execution of Christopher and Justin Wader's scenic design. The music and sound, the lighting design, the projections, and the make-up aided in rooting the production to bloom at such a high level of artistry on stage that it was clear another success had been cemented for the CTH. As it closes on July 31, run to see it!
Karl O’Brian Williams is a playwright, actor, and director who currently lectures at the Borough of Manhattan Community College in the Speech, Theatre & Communications Dept. His play Not About Eve has received awards in his native country Jamaica, as well as 3 AUDELCO nominations including one for Best Playwright.
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