It seems that everyone doing Macbeth these days has a lofty concept. Whether it’s a well-known company presenting Macbeth as a 1940’s radio show or college students presenting Macbeth as a B movie thriller, rarely does anyone present a period presentation that takes place in Scotland. While all the actors in Babes with Blades Macbeth are female, that is where the concept stops and in part, because of that, it is refreshingly honest. Babes with Blades does a fantastic job making the text, the motivations, and the overall presentation enjoyable and accessible. Scenes that have always seemed false came to life in the lack-luster performance space at La Costa Theatre. With Kathrynne Wolf in the title role and at the helm of a talented group of women, the gender switch to female was a complete non-issue. In fact, Wolf and Nika Ericson as Lady Macbeth had such wonderful chemistry and skill I found them to be one of the most compelling Macbeth couples I’ve seen.
No high-concept, but Babes with Blades Macbeth exudes with originality and nuance. When the witches’ promises take power over the Macbeths’ good senses, director Kevin Heckman, has them wear red paint on their foreheads. Far from a gimmick, the paint expresses urgency and motivation that is often lost or affected. Furthermore, without the ever-present need for the actors to seem “manly” as per the text, the characters are more grounded and more invested in depth of their relationships. Macbeth and Banquo (played skillfully by Stephanie Repin) display a friendship that makes Banquo’s haunting at the banquet far more poignant.
In addition to strong storytelling and acting, the designers made the most of a bad space. The costumes were so well-made one could mistake them for rentals. The simple fence units moved easily and effectively transformed the space from interiors to exteriors and everything in between. While the lights were a little bright and the sound a little expected, all the design work belonged in the same world and informed the story. Most impressive was the witches’ cauldron that made for some special effects on (presumably) a shoe-string budget.
Unfortunately, the only drawback to this production is the fight choreography. With a name like Babes with Blades, I hoped these women would escape the telegraphing, overly safe feel of stage combat but alas, they do not. While some of the actors are far better at selling the combat, it still reads like they are counting and marking rather than fighting for the glory of Scotland. Fights aside, if you are new to the script or its an old favorite, go see this production.
