THEATER REVIEW

Theater of the Seventh Sister's "Macbeth," which opened at the Stahr Center Thursday night, is one of Shakespeare's shortest and most intense plays.

The Scottish play, as it's come to be known, is filled with blood, murders, battles and lots and lots of guilt.

The best productions I've seen are like an express train barreling down the tracks. There's no time to breathe, as Macbeth goes from war hero to murderer to madman.

The Seventh Sister production, while it has some terrific and powerful moments, is more like a local train that stops often and rarely builds the momentum it needs to be truly exciting.

VIDEO: Theater of the Seventh Sister's "Macbeth"

Despite a fantastic set by Chelas Montanye and William Eissler, who also directs, the play's blocking is at times awkward and too conventional, slowing down the numerous scene changes.

And while some of the supporting cast members are strong, others fail to keep the spark lit.

Eissler has some terrific ideas.

I loved some of the projections he used, which added the perfect atmosphere to the show.

The music he chose for periods between scenes is disturbing and striking.

And I like the idea of setting the show in the early 20th century, right around World War I. The opening scene, which captures the devastation of that war, powerfully sets the mood.

But too often, Eissler doesn't go far enough with his ideas, or he lets them slip away.

The projections are carelessly chosen at times and the timing of their appearances are sometimes off.

We don't hear any music through a number of scene changes where it would have worked effectively.

And while the World War I motif continues throughout — gas masks are effectively used in several scenes — I never felt the strength of that first scene, even in the desperate final scenes of the play, when it would have fit in so well.

Macbeth (Dan Burke) is a returning war hero who with his friend Banquo (Aaron Brakefield) comes upon three funky witches (played with the perfect amount of dangerous fun by Brianna Kube, Leslie K. Sullivan and Rebecca Vail) who prophesy that he will become first the Thane of Cawdor and then the King of Scotland.

When he discovers upon returning home that King Duncan (Gary Smith) has made him Thane of Cawdor, it gets him thinking.

And it especially gets his ambitious wife, Lady Macbeth (Shawneen Rowe) plotting.

Kill Duncan and Macbeth will be king. And since the king is coming to their castle, they have the perfect opportunity.

They do the wicked deed.

Neither of them count on the guilt that overwhelms them or the paranoia that will lead Macbeth to kill more and more people, including his good friend, Banquo.

Burke and Rowe are both good in their roles and each has moments when they shine.

Rowe's most famous scene, where she tries to wash her hand of blood, is especially strong.

Burke's best scene is at the dinner table, when he sees Banquo's ghost, though nobody else does. You really do feel his terror.

Other performances that were strong include Ben Brewer, who plays the Porter and has some funny — and creepy — scenes. Ken Trani gives an intriguing performance as Ross, a former friend who becomes a foe and ends up being tortured by Lennox, played well by Aaron Michael Combs.

And Randy Coble fits the role of the regal and good Macduff.

The costumes, by Danae McQueen, are all over the place. Why does Macbeth look like a guy you'd see browsing books at Barnes and Noble, with cool, modern glasses and his hair slicked back into a pony tail?

What era is Lady Macbeth supposed to be living in?

Ross looks like he could walk out of a Land's End catalogue and the Porter looks like a homeless guy.

Had the World War I look been more consistent, it might have struck a more powerful chord in a show that needed more power.

"Macbeth" runs through March 27 at the Stahr Center.

jholahan@lnpnews.com