The Lantern Theater Company’s take on The Scottish Play
The Lantern Theater Company’s production of Macbeth, directed by Charles McMahon, is sure to impress.
I am always impressed by Lantern Theater Company’s set design. Their blackbox theater is always perfectly-utilized, often rearranged to craft a unique playing field for actors while maintaining the same actor-audience connection that’s characteristic of productions at the Lantern.
The dynamic between Anthony Lawton, Macbeth, and Karen Peakes, Lady Macbeth, was stellar. In the first act, audiences sympathized with Macbeth, who seemed frail in comparison to his wife’s dominating presence. We can both see and feel the dynamic shift, though, with Duncan’s murder serving as a pivotal point in the Macbeth marriage. From this point, Peake strikingly delivers the iconic role’s descent into madness, unraveling like a ball of yarn. We also see her counterpart turn into an unsympathetic protagonist, as Lawton’s Macbeth only grows in viciousness and rigidity. Both actors delivered tremendous performances!
Karen Peakes and Anthony Lawton (Photo by Mark Garvin)
Jered McLenigan, playing Macduff, also delivered a standout performance. His outpouring of grief in the fourth act was as starkly honest as it was heartbreaking, easily becoming my most memorable moment in the play. Every eye was on McLenigan as the air seemed to be sucked from the room. You really could have heard a pin drop. It is this performance that truly impacted the way I viewed Macbeth, as it shed a whole new light on the Scottish king. It may be easy to disconnect Shakespeare’s iconic protagonist from his gruesome agenda because he is not physically present to kill most of his victims, but McLenigan’s honesty was a hugely pivotal moment in my understanding of both characters. I previously saw McLenigan perform as Hannay in The 39 Steps, and I am impressed by his talent with both comedic and dramatic roles. I hope to see him perform in another production soon!
Jered McLenigan (Photo by Mark Garvin, taken from @lanterntheater on instagram)
My one critique with Macbeth was the 8:00pm start time. Shakespeare’s classic play quickly steamrolls towards the climax in act five. By the time we reached the final act, though, I was tired. The fifth act was very well done, but I had trouble truly appreciating it as much because it was so late. This is not a critique unique to the Lantern, though, as many other venues in the area also start performances at 8:00pm. I wonder why this is? I would be selfishly overjoyed if they all pushed their performances forward by a half hour! Because it’s all about me, of course :)
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I studied in Queen Mary University of London’s Global Shakespeare program for five months. I attended four Shakespearean plays on the West End, and I watched countless productions online. All in all, the Lantern Theater Company consistently produces better Shakespearian plays than those I saw in Shakespeare’s own theater. Why? The acting was honest. There was a genuine connection between actor and audience. When attending a play at the Lantern, you feel like you’re apart of a community. Macbeth was the third Shakespeare I attended at the Lantern, and I loved seeing actors perform who I’d seen in previous plays. The actors, and the company as a whole, really lets Shakespeare’s plays speak for themselves.
I also really enjoy the Lantern’s dramaturgical information. There is always a dramaturg’s letter in every playbill, interesting posts on the theater’s website, and a bulletin in the lobby. Every production, and every detail which goes into it, is so intentional. It’s wonderful to learn more about the play and the research that shaped it!
Some of the Lantern’s articles below!
I am grateful for the chance to attend another production at the Lantern Theater! They have once again delivered a fantastic play…and Trevor William Rayle, the actor who played Malcom, may have done a slightly better job than I did in my college production of The Scottish Play! :)
All photos by Mark Garvin
