Macbeth
at James Madison High School

Reviewed on November 10, 2017

Katherine Kelly
McLean High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

Lighting strikes a windy night sky as three sisters hiss and cackle, preparing to change a kingdom forever. In James Madison High School's chilling performance of Macbeth, the danger of a prophecy is revealed as a man's desire for power twists his mind and provokes his bloody demise.

William Shakespeare's Macbeth is said to have been first performed in 1606. The story follows Macbeth, an acclaimed Scottish general who encounters three witches one night after a battle. They tell him he is destined to become King of Scotland, and it isn't long before his ambition and his wife's urging cause him to murder the current king to expedite the process. Overcome with guilt and regret, Macbeth must continue to kill to keep his name clean and protect his reign. In this bloody and supernatural tragedy, the repercussions of violence and greed are explored.

Performing the titular role of Macbeth, Max Jackson transformed himself into a desperate and power hungry mad man. Artfully capturing the complexity of his character, he portrayed his demising state of mind with an impressive range of emotion. The cunning mastermind who helped goad Macbeth towards murder, Lady Macbeth, was played by Charlotte Reed. Reed's emotional dexterity allowed her to establish a strong manipulative influence over Macbeth, as she altered between sweet and angry tones to appeal to him. Her adept understanding of her character was especially clear during her powerful soliloquy in which she imagined blood on her hands: infusing each word and action with pain, Reed created a gripping scene.

Macbeth isn't complete without dark and magical twists. Toiling and charming through the night, the Weird Sisters were mesmerizing. Their shrill voices, personalized physicality, and unsettling demeanors created the most spine-chilling moments of the performance. Other notable mentions were Banquo (Zac Spafford) with his supernatural ghost impression, Macduff (Nick Hovis) who carried his strong character with great poise, and the Porter (Charles Arase) who provided hilarious comedic relief as he stumbled about the stage in a drunken state. The entire cast handled the complex language of the play proficiently, clearly understanding their character's intents and acting on them effectively. This, along with the energy they brought, made for an app-laudable ensemble.

The technical elements of the production transformed the stage into a mystical masterpiece. Lighting was artfully used to accentuate moods, carry transitions, and create different settings. Sound effects and ambient music brought scenes to life, enhancing mysterious and intense moments accordingly. Each prop possessed visible attention to detail: bloodied swords, period appropriate toys, and a symbolic throne complementing the performance. Makeup and costumes enhanced each character, with a terrific gown on Lady Macbeth highlighting her selfishness and haunting makeup on the witches contributing to their eccentricity.

Bringing magic, destruction, and rampant power into the spotlight, James Madison High School captured the dreadful consequences of blind desire in their unforgettable performance of Macbeth.

Anne Castillo
George Mason High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble … something was brewing at James Madison High School on Friday night, and it was spellbinding. In a captivating performance of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, the versatile and energetic cast breathed life into a dark, tragic tale. The Tragedy of Macbeth is the enchanting and beloved Shakespearean tragedy, believed to be first performed in 1606. Chronicling the dangers of tyranny and greed, this story is a cautionary tale for us all. In a quest for political gain, Macbeth and his Lady embark upon a purge to rise to fame. To say the least, something wicked this way comes.

James Madison High School's performance was anchored by phenomenal leads and a wonderfully talented ensemble. Tackling complexity and darkness isn't easy, but they did so with grace and compelling characterization.

Macbeth (Max Jackson) was a riveting testament to the danger of greed, accompanied by his dark, manipulative wife Lady Macbeth (Charlotte Reed). Reed's monologues were enthralling, and Jackson's attention to detail made a beautiful contribution, from his shaking hands on the dagger as he contemplated suicide, to his increasing madness as Banquo's ghost stalked him. Even as they descended into murderous madness, there was an electrifying chemistry between Reed and Jackson that kept us on the edge of our seats. The two leads were so skilled that even their silence was captivating and deeply emotive.

The supporting cast was a solid foundation for a magical show. The Weird Sisters (Claire Ashby, Hunter Slingbaum, Allison Sciuto) and Hecate (Heather Colbert) were delightfully sinister, with stunning makeup and perfectly creepy demeanors as they guided the plot along. Nick Hovis as Macduff, accompanied by his gentle wife Lady Macduff (Jenna Haleen) was incredibly skilled with his delivery, and brought a thrilling sense of energy to the show.

The technical aspects of Macbeth were astounding. In an eerie twist, Banquo's pale, blood-stained ghost suddenly rose from the banquet table, stalking toward Macbeth as if in a trance. The Weird Sisters brewed their potions in an enormous cauldron, from which steam and smoke shrouded the emerging, shadowy figures. The fight choreography deserved thunderous applause - this production tackled brutal battle gracefully, with perfectly synchronized and realistic fighting. Also fascinating was the stylistic use of blood makeup - on more than one occasion, characters breathlessly takes the stage, covered in fresh blood splattered upon their faces or clothes. Perhaps most fascinating of all was the scene in which a sword was originally clean, then emerged bloody from its freshly stabbed victim.

James Madison High School's Macbeth was a polished and captivating presentation of this beloved text, bringing to life Shakespeare's vision of darkness, despair, and doom. This production deserves a round of applause, for it was nothing short of enchanting.

Miranda Huffer
Woodgrove High School
Submitted for publication to FCPS Community News

"If you want to test a man's character, give him power." Power is known to corrupt, revealing true desires faster than anything else. One of the greatest explorations of human greed for power is Shakespeare's Macbeth, demonstrating how quickly a sane, good-willed person can change into a corrupt murderer by the addition of power alone. James Madison High School brought the tale to life, reminding the audience that "fair is foul and foul is fair."

One of Shakespeare's best tragedies, Macbeth, explores hatred, fate, and the pitfalls of human nature through the story of Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, a loyal man and a fearsome warrior. All of that changes, however, when he receives a prophecy that he will become the King. Overcome with madness and greed, Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth, plot and carry out the murder of King Duncan, betraying his trust and favor. Going mad with guilt, both Macbeth and his wife meet bloody, untimely ends.

The difficulty of Shakespearean language is well known, especially as a fault in high school theatre groups; however, James Madison's cast demonstrated mastery of the language while working through sound issues, from the smallest ensemble member to Macbeth himself (Max Jackson). Full of monologues and soliloquies, the cast, particularly Macbeth and Lady Macbeth (Charlotte Reed), handled the blocks of text well, adding dimension and variation to each line. As well as excellent language control and superior diction, Macbeth's descent into madness, a challenge at any skill level, was portrayed masterfully by Jackson, who used his extensive emotional range to reach into every element of Macbeth's complex, twisted character. The final battle showed the peaks and troughs of Macbeth, his temperament going seamlessly from grieving his wife's death to confidence in his "invincibility" to a realization of defeat in a short span of time. Macbeth's counterpart, Lady Macbeth, showed similar range, particularly in her execution of convincing Macbeth to commit the murders.

Setting an ominous, frightening show on the stage well is seldom done, but was achieved by James Madison's usage of the Weird Sisters (Claire Ashby, Allison Sciuto, Hunter Slingbaum) along with carefully designed lighting and the addition of music. The Weird Sisters, also known as the Three Witches, carried the frightening element of the show, both physically and through their performance; the exquisite vein-like makeup that covered them literally from head to toe gave the witches an alien feel. Their appearance melded perfectly with their terrifying group dynamic, accented by sharp, pointed lighting cues. When not being used to illuminate the sisters, the lighting took on a particularly symbolic role throughout the show. Lighting the barren throne with vibrant colors such as reds and purples, the design scheme created beautifully impactful silhouettes, particularly of Macbeth and Banquo as the contemplated the throne.

Filled with conflict and mystique, James Madison's Macbeth left the audience chilled to the bone at the confounding truth of human nature it portrayed.

Helen Ganley
McLean High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble. Blood red hands are weak and shake; a floating dagger takes the stage! Full of poignant monologue, James Madison's Macbeth does rule them all.

First performed in 1606, Shakespeare's Macbeth is considered one of his most symbolic and hard-hitting tragedies. "The Scottish Play" follows a Scottish general, Macbeth, who is confronted by three witches who prophesied that he will one day be the King of Scotland. His manipulative wife and longing for power drive him to commit a series of murders to take the throne and then to protect himself from getting caught. The consequent anarchy that ensues pushes Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth, into the depths of madness.

Embracing his descent into insanity, Max Jackson tore Macbeth from his traditional roots and transformed him into a modernized character. Jackson achieved what most high school actors cannot, manipulating his volume and cadence so that his performance was consistently engaging and thought provoking. Whether he was receiving prophecy from volcanic ghouls or looking up at a bloody dagger, Jackson's soliloquies were full of depth and character, demonstrating his range of expression. By his side was Charlotte Reed as the cunning and conniving Lady Macbeth. Gliding across the stage in a gorgeous ball gown, Reed's subtle actions and expressions and characterized her role as the puppet-master in this production. Looking down at her bloodied hands, Reed's pain and grief were utterly believable. Together the couple evolved throughout the piece, beginning as romantic lovers and turning into power hungry tyrants.

Circling around their bubbling cauldron, The Weird Sisters mesmerized the audience with their eerie chants and spider-like movements. Claire Ashby, Allison Sciuto, and Hunter Slingbaum individualized each infamous sister, giving beautifully unique performances that enthralled all. Bouts of raucous laughter filled the room as Charles Arase traipsed across the stage as the drunken Porter. Stumbling around and slurring his speech, Arase's performance made an irrelevant character into one of the most memorable. Both when alive and dead, Zac Spafford delivered a stunning performance as Banquo. Shooting up from behind the banquet table and creeping unnervingly offstage, Spafford's performance sent chills down the audience's spines.

Bloodied swords, shimmering dresses, and ambient music encapsulated the horrors of Scotland onto the stage. Lights seamlessly ebbed and flowed, drawing attention to character's soliloquies and casting dread down onto the floating dagger and the empty throne. Music weaved its way into the show, filling transitions and setting the mood for both happy and heart wrenching scenes. Lady Macbeth's ballgown was breathtaking, contrasting heavily with the well-integrated clothes worn by peasants and the ensemble. The Weird Sisters' faces were paper white and covered in prominent veins, making their performances creepier and more powerful. Props were well used and were spaced strategically throughout the show, be it as complex as a bloody sword or as simple as a little boy's string.

Packed with blood and betrayal, passion and power, intensity and insanity, Macbeth's warning about political ambition still rings true even centuries after its first performance. The enthralling cast and enchanting tech of James Madison High School's Macbeth deliver this message loud and clear, leaving all with a sense of dread and fear.

Garrett Rinker
Wakefield High School
Submitted for publication to FCPS Student Voice

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in the cursed Scottish tragedy at James Madison High School! Macbeth is an iconic Shakespeare tale of greed, corruption, and what power can do to a person. It follows the title character through his devastating decline into insanity and pure evilness. The play involves an abundance of strange, mysterious magic and carries an eerie feeling that James Madison did not fail to bring throughout their production of it.

Starting from the beginning of the show, the three witches, or Weird Sisters, open the play with a chill-inducing and ominous energy that they would continue for the rest of the times that they took the stage. Although they did not have individual names and they looked for the most part exactly the same, they all had separate characters and made distinct character choices which added every little bit of creepy to their scenes. If the Weird Sisters weren't creepy enough, or needed any help, the lights were executed to perfection in many of the scenes. When the light glinted off the floating dagger, it really made it feel as though Macbeth was dreaming as he spoke to it. Another technical aspect that helped keep the fast pace of the show and propel it to the end was the sound. The number of musical soundtracks that were used was more than expected for a high school show, but certainly not too much. They were timed perfectly and fit the mood of their respective scenes extremely well.

Moving from technical aspects back to acting, almost the entire cast spoke with great vocal clarity and minded their diction. However, there were two stand out characters that can by no means be forgotten. Max Jackson (Macbeth) and Charlotte Reed (Lady Macbeth) acted their scenes together with incredible chemistry and both had great individual performances. It was clear that they had done their Shakespeare homework and understood fully what they were saying and portrayed it beautifully (and at times, hideously, in a good way). Jackson displayed amazing character development by appearing gradually more evil in each scene, and made the audience love to hate him. Reed showed great emotion and seduced Macbeth into his evil state with remarkable enthusiasm and passion.

Hannah Khan
Flint Hill School
Submitted for publication to Insidenova - Sun Gazette

In 11th century Europe, a taste of power was worth killing over. William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" exemplifies this theme throughout, using characters, props, and costumes. James Madison High School's production of "Macbeth" used all of these things to create a truly breathtaking performance.

"The Tragedy of Macbeth", the original name of this magnificent Scottish play, was believed to have been first performed in 1606 under the rule of King James. Shakespeare's intention in writing such a tragedy was to show the consequences of power and the ways that it can affect its holder, psychologically and physically. Started off by the vicious murder of King Duncan, Macbeth and his sinister wife Lady Macbeth take Scotland by storm, killing anyone who gets in their way. This power couple reign supreme until the power gets to be too much for them and they each die either by their own hand or by the hands of those whom they have trampled.

Max Jackson and Charlotte Reed, portraying Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, developed complex characters in a way that seemed well beyond the high school level. Both had completely independent and beautifully executed character's arcs and also worked in harmony with each other. Reed was able to embody the true transformation of Lady Macbeth and was able to subtly communicate to the audience that it was she who was motivating her husband from behind the scenes. Her power hungry nature came through with each of Reed's words, gestures, and expressions.

In a smaller role than the mentioned above, but of equal importance, was Banquo played by Zach Spafford. One particularly notable aspect of Spafford's performance was his stage combat. His actions and reactions were appropriate and excellently timed. His shift from living Banquo to ghost Banquo caught the audience off-guard, especially with his first postmortem entrance. Not only did he show a change in appearance, but his physicality and delivery of his very few, yet very effective, lines were completely and brilliantly transformed.

The cast of "Macbeth" showed that they had an unclouded understanding of what their lines meant and they had masterful facial expressions to help convey the meaning of their complicated Shakespearean lines. The makeup work of Dina Bouhaouala and Lianna Williams was incredibly executed. Particularly, the makeup of the weird sisters was entrancing and hair-raising in an exceptional way.

The James Madison High School cast of "Macbeth" did an exceptional job of bringing this Shakespearean classic to life. Even those who knew the story were on the edges of their seats, enticed by the absolutely breathtaking production.

Keenan Parker
The Madeira School
Submitted for publication to Connection

Witches and battles and kings, oh my! Toil and trouble falls upon Scotland as Macbeth moves to take the throne, and promises death to all that get in his way. James Madison High School's production of Macbeth explores this world of power and influence, and the horrifying ways to gain it.

Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been first performed in 1606. The story follows Macbeth, a politically ambitious and well liked man, and his journey to power, while descending into madness and gaining a thirst for blood along the way. Through the telling of Macbeth's suffering, Madison High School's cast eloquently preached the damaging physical, emotional, and mental effects of excessive ambition on those who seek power for their own benefit.

Macbeth, while having scattered dialogue scenes, is almost entirely composed of long monologues and frequent soliloquies, making it incredibly challenging perform in the correct context and with the intended expression. Madison's cast and crew handled this challenge with the poise of professionals, perfectly embodying and understanding the meaning behind Shakespeare's language. Along with the mastery of Macbeth's text, the cast also used impeccable diction and projection, the cherry on top of this immaculately performed Shakespeare play.

Max Jackson (Macbeth) gave an incredible performance, supporting a tremendous character progression from the easy, well-liked army general to the paranoid, blood-soaked king of Scotland, and carried the monologue heavy show with ease. Jackson's revealing soliloquies and intense interactions with other characters revealed the deep desires of Macbeth, and bettered the show as a whole. As the plot progresses not only Macbeth's own greed and maliciousness increases, but that of his wife's too. Charlotte Reed (Lady Macbeth) conveyed this increase in darkness with vigor. Like Jackson, Reed supported an enormous character progression while maintaining solid and intensely revealing in soliloquies, maintaining the poise of a seasoned actress. The Weird Sisters' (Claire Ashby, Alison Sciuto, and Hunter Slingbaum) stunning performance transported the audience into the horrifying world of Macbeth with haunting body language and strong acting that reflected the tones of the show.

Impressive light and sound cues, tech functioned as a well-oiled machine, helping develop the well-known characters and dark plot of the play.

From tech, to acting, to understanding of the text, James Madison High School excelled in their production of Macbeth. All aspects of the production worked together to convey the dangers of ambition, and to show Macbeth's evolution from lighthearted to dark because of it.

Rose Tombul
George Mason High School
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

The lights are down, with every member of the audience unable to see anything around them.

FLASH!

Everybody jumps, unable to make out what they saw on the stage, for the flash was so quick we barely had time to recognize there even was a flash.

After a few more flashes, the 3 witches appear. With phenomenal acting done by Claire Ashby, Hunter Slingbaum, and Allison Sciuto as the 3 witches, they were able to spook the audience really well. They plan their meeting with Macbeth and then go off to doing whatever witches do to prepare to reveal a prophecy.

Then, we are introduced to the main character, Macbeth, played by Max Jackson. Jackson delivered each line with the perfect amount of flare and passion. He was able to be strong and reach the audience during his monologues that revealed his thoughts. The actor really provided an excellent demonstration of using your voice, body, and imagination to really make a role come to life. He was also able to show the audience how Macbeth developed and changed throughout the show. He started off having potential for the audience to have sympathy for him, and ended up turning into an evil monster. Not only did he display that through his words, but he was able to show us without using any words where he did not have dialogue.

A favorite portrayal of a character however, was definitely Lady Macbeth. Charlotte Reed, a senior at James Madison High School, truly kept the show going with the fiery glam, and excellent demonstration of power over her husband. She provided just the right amount of power, passion, and persuasion to make the audience hate to love her. Her "unsex me" speech was beyond flawless. She powered through so professionally especially when there were microphone issues. Her powerful speech was just as powerful without a microphone for half of it. You got to see the character's controlling side through interactions with Macbeth, and the kind, womanly side while interacting with palace guests.

The cast as a whole did a great job at defining the line between what Macbeth could see and what everyone else could see. For example, the dinner scene. The entirety of the cast was able to act as if they did not see the blood-covered Banquo walking across the table. But the fear in Macbeth's eyes was clear.

The bow that brilliantly wrapped the show together, was the lighting and sound crew. Every single flash and sound effect was perfectly concocted to add the right amount to the spookiness of the show. The set never changed, but they used lighting really well to distinguish the different settings each scene was in.

With the perfect amount of lights, sound effects, smoke machines, and incredible acting, the amazing potion of Macbeth is definitely a show to make time to see.