The Bard goes West

There are a million ways to re-imagine Shakespeare. Who could forget the “Lion King,” Disney’s famous “Hamlet” remake featuring the voice of Jonathan Taylor Thomas as the Danish Prince’s sub-Saharan, leonine counterpart? Or “West Side Story,” a mid-century “Romeo and Juliet” set in gang-infested New York City in the days when gangsters still sang and danced to get their point across? In both instances the creators chose to ditch the Shakespearian language to better fit the environment. But a few brave directors have opted for a more perilous path. Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film “Romeo + Juliet” stayed true to the original dialogue though the action took place in modern-day Verona. The result was very controversial — not all critics would agree that the film was a success. Dan Eison ’08 goes down this road less traveled in his version of the classic Shakespearean tragedy “Macbeth,” playing this weekend at Theatre Intime. The action is set in the Wild West, but the script is unchanged. The set, designed by Megan Thompson ’09, recreates a stereotypical Western scene, complete with swinging saloon doors, bottles of booze and dusty cow skulls. The costumes, designed and executed by Kate Miller ’08 and Liz Butterworth ’11, are similarly themed: boots, jeans and chaps for the cowboys and high-necked blouses for their ladies.

The play opens with the Weird Sisters, played by Caroline Loevner ’08, Jackie Bello ’09 and Nadia Talel ’10. These three may be one of the best parts of the production. Their scenes have the audience screaming with laughter. Their performances are heavily reminiscent of the Sanderson sisters from the 1993 flick “Hocus Pocus,” with Bello as Bette Midler, Talel as Sarah Jessica Parker and Loevner as Kathy Najimy.

Because the Weird Sisters are supposed to be, well, weird, their dialogue that is completely inappropriate for the time and setting seems entirely natural. Unfortunately, this is not true for everyone. Macbeth and his lady, played by Paul Miller ’10 and Georgie Sherrington ’08, respectively, are obviously talented Shakespearian actors, but their performances make the Wild West trappings seem somewhat superfluous. As the Macbeths plot to murder their houseguest, King Duncan, played by Lovell Holder ’09, only the costumes serve to remind the audience that we are not in Scotland. The idea is that the “King” is actually some kind of sheriff and the “Castle” a saloon while cowboys are tipping their hats and talking about Scottish Thanes, swordfights and armor just does not sit quite right.

Only a few of the actors with more comedic roles had the freedom to capitalize on the novelty of the setting. Dylan Alban ’09 for example, who plays the Porter, had the audience in stitches with his thick Western drawl and exaggerated redneck mannerisms. In spite of Alban’s performance, however, it is hard to lose yourself in the illusion that the timeless story of “Macbeth” is being played out among the tumbleweeds of a frontier town. Considering that the dialogue is so at odds with the setting, the production feels more like a bunch of very talented cowboys putting on their own version of the Scottish play in front of a local saloon.

But then comes the final shootout. Suddenly, everything falls into place. This is the “aha!” moment for the audience, when it becomes obvious why Eison decided to take on the challenge of re-imagining Shakespeare’s masterpiece in such a disparate setting. Gunslingers burst in and out of swinging saloon doors with cap guns, and the theater fills with loud cracks and the smell of gunpowder. Fountains of watery fake blood spray from balconies as the actors fling themselves across the stage to a soundtrack of gunfire and ominous guitar chords, provoking screams of laughter from the audience. This intricately choreographed classic Wild West battle imaginatively reconciles the drama of the original play with the novelty of the unconventional setting. The classic, lawless, anything-goes cowboy attitude brings Shakespeare’s story to life in an entirely new way. By the time Macduff and Macbeth square off for the climactic final knife fight, the audience totally buys it.

The production is obviously a labor of love, and the entire cast and crew have clearly put their hearts and souls into what they’re doing. The actors are having fun onstage, and the audience cannot help but get swept up in the excitement. This vibe characterizes all Theatre Intime productions, and it makes them worth attending.

All in all, this is not your everyday Shakespearian tragedy. It’s a different experience altogether. But it’s definitely an experience worth having.

Macbeth will be showing at Theatre Intime at 8 p.m. Feb. 28 - March 1 with a matinee at 2 p.m. March 1. For tickets, order online at princeton.edu/utickets, or call the Frist Campus Center Ticket Office at 609-258-1742.