PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Improved Macbeth
A Macbeth” by Charles Marowitz was shown on the 17th of November in the Black Box Theatre. It made me reconsider all my views on Shakespeare’s works. Many people think that to change the outstanding Shakespeare’s work of art is a real crime against the playwright, but I do not agree with this opinion. I think it is very useful to see Marowitz’s creation and make your own conclusions both about it and the original work.
In general. the plot of Marowitz’s work is similar to the original; however, the performance and acting are absolutely different from Shakespeare's Macbeth. King Macbeth and his wife remain the same; they kill people to make sure Macbeth remains the king of Scotland. Macbeth’s passion for power is so strong that he forgets about all moral values. Macbeth's obsession is the disease of all dictators guilty of violence for power. He chose the dark side and became murderer. Lady Macbeth, his wife, helps him to do really awful things. She turns to be even more evil than her husband and Three Witches. She is a cruel and severe person. Marowitz managed to show the dark side of Lady Macbeth’s soul and her passion for power even stronger than Shakespeare did.
He described her as if in a horror film. Three Witches played the same role in Macbeth’s dark deeds and guided him for most of the story.
In the end, that scary bloody play full of insane, power-hungry and cruel people finishes as a real tragedy. The playwright did not simply condense the script, but also changed the essence of the characters, images and style of acting. He preserved the whole meaning. He created a blood-strewn melodrama, added much more horror to plain Shakespeare’s theatre, and made it more vivid. Marowitz depicted all the events in a more detailed way.
He did not condense Shakespeare's script; on the contrary, he added a new view to the old story. He made Macbeth closer for today’s realities and for modern audience; he also made Shakespeare more understandable and provoking. To say the truth, Marowitz has not created anything new, he simply strengthened the images of original characters and presented the whole story in a more understandable variant for the today’s viewers.
Convincing acting, spectacular performance and fascinating effects made the play extremely interesting and exciting. The costumes in “A Macbeth” were simple but, at the same time, they were wonderful. All sound and visual effects on the stage were rather realistic and really fascinating. Every sound and emotion, each detail displayed the character of the performance. The actors coped with their difficult psychological roles perfectly; they managed to demonstrate real essence of their characters; as a result, I believed them.
Good acoustics ensured that I could easily comprehend what the actors were saying; music was perfectly incorporated in the play and was in harmony with everything happening on stage. The actors’ emotions were well read in their every movement, their feelings spoke louder than words.
The author gives the viewer an opportunity to review many aspects of the play, draw one’s own conclusions and see everything in a new way. I dare say that “A Macbeth” by Charles Marowitz became the improved and more interesting version of the original Shakespeare's play. At any rate, Marowitz’s play will not get anyone bored. I think the show is sure to impress even those who do not like Shakespeare’s plays.
