Disclaimer: Life & Arts Editor Gabrielle Caumon was not part of the editing process for this article. Please review the Hilltop Views Media & Ethics Policy for further information. 

Chills. Lady Macbeth runs across the stage, and I sink further into my seat, fully enveloped in what’s unfolding in front of me. The witches close in on her, all four women on stage chanting in unison, blood curdling screams from all sides of the arena-style theater. I’m so enthralled, so afraid to miss something that I haven’t blinked in what feels like minutes. I can’t look away from the spectacle mere inches from my face. 

Unfortunately, not all of Mary Moody Northen Theatre’s (MMNT) production of “Macbeth” was so encapsulating. Let’s start at the beginning. 

I walk into the theater and sit down in my front-row seat. The stage extends to the edges of the audience, my feet resting on a makeshift stone. I look around and there is life all around me, from the stage that sprawls across the entire floor space to the vines on the ceiling. 

To my disappointment, the set may have been the most immersive part of the show. Don’t get me wrong, it was a wonderful experience overall and there is plenty to rave about. However, while there are some stars that shine ever so brightly in the cast, there are a few who didn’t grab my attention so much. 

I don’t take theatrical experiences lightly, having been a performer myself for upwards of 10 years. When I walk into a show, I want the rest of the world to fall away. I want to feel like the actors are real people sharing real experiences. I want to walk away changed. What I can say about this show specifically is that “Macbeth” is ambitious. I fully applaud everyone involved in the production because it was truly striking. 

That being said, it was obvious at times that, with the naturally difficult use of language that is to be expected while performing Shakespeare, some of the cast was (understandably) nervous. More than once I found myself slightly taken out of the experience of the show because I could tell the person on stage was simply trying to get through their line without messing up the words, rather than really playing the character. 

To that end, there were some who mastered both in inexplicable ways. For example, Dane Parker’s guest performance as Macduff was exceptional. Overall, he did a great job, but his standout performance of the night was in Act IV, when he found out his wife had been murdered. Parker threw himself on the floor, screaming so loud it felt like the theater was shaking. The entire audience was silenced as he lay face down on the floor, weeping for his lost wife. I was stuck still. 

Macbeth portrayed by Jon Edward Cook, another guest actor, was also a performance done well. There were times I questioned his choices, but, ultimately, I felt that Cook nailed his part. The most notable part of his performance was the chemistry between himself and Lady Macbeth (Marie Ritchie). When they were on stage together, you could feel it in the air. Sitting in the front row, I was up close and personal for many of their interactions. If you asked the friend I took with me to the show, she would tell you I was leaned so far out of my seat I could’ve fallen over. I couldn’t take my eyes off of them; I could see the beads of sweat rolling down their faces, I watched where every point of eye contact dropped, I felt like I was part of it all. Watching these two on stage sent me home with butterflies. 

The only thing that took away from Cook’s sublime rendition of the role was the somewhat modern feel a lot of his lines had. In the first act especially, I caught myself with an eyebrow raised, thinking about how the lines were so different from the delivery. I will say, as Macbeth fell further into insanity, Cook got better and better. Soon enough, there was no way to tell where the 21st century ended and the Elizabethan era began. 

Cook, Parker and the rest of the cast did a beautiful job on the stage. The Chappell-Roan-esque Hecate scenes, done by Emily Beck, were so enchanting I forgot that there was more beyond her corner of the stage. Even more consuming, the three witches were a powerhouse of beguiling charm. However, what I haven’t been able to stop thinking about all weekend is what I saw from Marie Ritchie and Gabrielle Caumon.

Marie Ritchie has never failed me in a MMNT show – not once. I always look forward to her time on stage and this may have been her best performance. I have never seen someone become a character so effortlessly and impressively. Every move she made was so calculated it felt natural. Any time I felt taken out of the experience, Ritchie was there ready to drag me back, screaming, chanting and begging for more. Her diction when it came to Shakespearean language was impeccable and her character choices blew me entirely out of the water. Never a disappointment, always fantastic. 

Gabrielle Caumon’s performance stood out compared to the other two witches, who were also wonderful. However, her interpretation of the role was unbeatable. Everything she did was stellar, especially the scene where her character is controlled by Hecate. Caumon was able to portray the exorcism so well I was genuinely afraid the devil was in the room with us. Caumon, a native French speaker, blindsided me with her ability to throw out Shakespearean dialogue like it was nothing. It was all mouth agape, jaw-on-the-floor moments for me when she graced the stage with her presence. 

With its star-studded cast, you’re not going to want to miss this production. The good fully outweighs the bad, and if the Shakespeare of it all scares you, just wait until you come in contact with the witches.