Avery Cheeseman, arts and culture editor

Recently, I had the absolute pleasure of attending “Macbeth” with my best friend, performed by the Guthrie Theater. The production was incredible, to say the least. There were many bold choices and creative decisions. I really appreciate it when a production that has been done so many times is done with a slightly different approach and style. Fellow Augsburg student Taylor Fritz agreed with my assessment on these different decisions. He put it perfectly when he mentioned, “I feel like you get bored doing the same thing every time.”

Fritz acknowledges that even if he did not necessarily love some of the creative choices, he respected them regardless. In regard to the modernization of costuming, Fritz felt that “it was interesting because I didn’t like the style, but I think it worked well and did good.” The costumes seemed to have a very modern and tactical look after Macbeth became king, which was not something that Fritz had originally imagined for this production. Most theater companies prefer a more old-fashioned approach to costuming when tackling a Shakespearean work. 

Fritz’s favorite part of the production was the ghost scene that perfectly exemplified Macbeth’s guilt. Both Fritz and I discussed how Macbeth’s guilt is really well shown overall in this rendition of the play. It is so easy to see Macbeth’s descent into madness on the stage. According to Fritz, “the ghost scene really sold it because, like, the ghost popped up at that dinner table and [went] crazy in front of everybody. I really like that scene because it showed his guilt.” I felt that the buildup and the acting in this scene were phenomenally done.

Even with so many incredible things done surrounding this production, both Fritz and I agreed on the fact that we wish that there was more of a focus on Lady Macbeth. According to Fritz, “I feel like it would have been cooler if it was pushed on more, like how pivotal she was in his ambition.” The hard part about this production is that Lady Macbeth’s role in his ambition is so early on in the production that it’s hard to fully take in her contributions. Fritz perfectly captures the feeling of missing out on this pivotal part of the show when he directly told me that Lady Macbeth’s part of the story “was really […] early in the beginning when you’re just trying to pick up the dialect of Shakespeare, so you [only] half know what was going on.” This is more of a critique on our difficulty understanding and being brought into the world of the show than a critique of what the Guthrie did. 

Fritz and I closed our discussion about the production with an agreement about the important difference between theater and movies. Theater can be enjoyed no matter the place, whereas where you watch a movie can really impact your experience of it. Fritz lamented to me about what “It’s like, no matter what, it’s beautiful… no matter the cost or seat, it’s still good.” At the end of the day, movie and theater are completely different things. Theater is so beautiful because it is something that can be enjoyed no matter the occasion or details. Every seat in that theater offers a wonderfully unique and enjoyable experience that I hope you will choose to experience if you catch the Guthrie’s rendition of “Macbeth.“ The show continues to run through March 22, so definitely check it out!