Film Review: The Tragedy of Macbeth

By: Blanca Hitchcock, Staff Writer

Joel Coen’s first solo film without his brother, Ethan Coen, has been sending shock waves throughout the film world. Many critics were quick to question if the film would stick to the direct narrative of the play or take up a sense of creative freedom. After the film’s release date of December 25, raving reviews of the film came flooding in. Cinephiles from far and wide agree this film truly is a masterpiece. It was able to convey the true art of a Shakespearean play while also incorporating stylistic filming as well.  

As for my take on the film, I believe that the simplicity of the setting in which it was filmed worked entirely to its benefit. The lack of fluff or unnecessary costume enhancement/set designs was probably one of the best things the movie has going for itself. It is used in a way in that when the characters are delivering riveting monologs the focus is completely on their words. This is something that is difficult to do in films these days, especially when the character is chanting in Shakespearean prose. The simplicity of the set design is arguably one of the biggest strengths this film has.  

As for another huge strength, the cast seems to have been hand-selected by Shakespear himself (if he lived in the modern ages that is). Casting Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth might have just been one of the most amazing casting choices since Robert De Niro in “Taxi Driver”. She perfectly embodied Lady Macbeth and was able to deliver her monolog in such a twisted warped way, the lines themselves seemed to have been personified and acting of their own accord. The Wicked Sisters were absolutely horrifying, something that I was happy to see as I was nervous their portrayal would not be able to capture their absolute wickedness. I was amazed to find myself actually nervous every time they came on the screen, something that I was in no way expecting.  

The film itself branched out from the norm of Shakespearean type casting and decided to take on a more diverse approach when finding it’s lead. Denzel Washington as the part of Macbeth himself stated in an interview that, “obviously we [cast] are diverse, so I think that’s a great thing,” but argued that “we ought to be at a place where diversity shouldn’t even be mentioned like it’s something special.”  

Cast as Macbeth, Denzel Washington had to embody one of Shakespear’s more unhinged characters, and he gamely stepped up to the challenge. Not only did Washington succeed in this role, but he might also be the strongest portrayal of Macbeth in film thus far.  

I would say that the “Tragedy of Macbeth” was a great adaptation of Shakespear’s “Macbeth”, and accurately captured the nuisances of every single character. It was a strong portrayal of the play itself and provided a great cinematic experience for film lovers everywhere.  

The St. Pelagia’s Players Production of The Tempest

(Photo: Frances Meng-Frecker)

By: Allison Upchurch, Staff Reporter

Last weekend, Regis’ Shakespeare group, the St. Pelagia’s Players, performed their production of one of William Shakespeare’s final plays, The Tempest, in the Claver Recital Hall. For a more in-depth look at the players and the creation of the show, click here for the Highlander’s exclusive coverage.

In this specific production of The Tempest, a duchess named Prospera, played by Court Huston, has escaped with her daughter Miranda, played by freshman Alana LeBaron, to an island after her family tried to kill her and take her magic powers. In retaliation for the act, Prospera calls upon the island’s nature spirit named Ariel, played by Caroline Conrad, to raise a storm and strand her sister Antonia, played by senior Hannah Creasman, and the royal entourage of the Queen, played by junior Rachael Urquhart, on the island. From there, the entourage is separated and each group fights for dominance and an understanding of the mysterious island that they have landed upon.

St. Pelagia’s Players have interpreted this production in a more modern setting, reflected primarily in the character’s clothing. Those characters who are regal and strive for power wear the sharp business suits and adopt powerful stances, while those who are more humble wear lighter colors. The costume that immediately stands out from the rest is that of the island’s fish-monster inhabitant Caliban, played by sophomore Gwendolyn Mulligan, which is made completely out of pieces of waste and trash.

In fact, the entire staging is uniquely made out of collected pieces of garbage. With an emphasis on plastic waste, the stage is lined with bottles, containers, wrappers, and giant pieces of Styrofoam. The staging reflects the theme the St. Pelagia’s Players present about consumer behavior in our world. In the Producer’s Notes presented in the playbill, it states “We as consumers…must remember that recycling is not enough: we must be conscious of all the plastic we encounter and purchase in our everyday lives, and endeavor to choose more wisely.”  

Through the production of The Tempest, the St. Pelagia’s Players invite the audience to see the amount of trash that builds up in life, both literal and figuratively, and show how it is possible to work towards forgiveness and better conservation practices for our world.

For more information on the St. Pelagia’s Players, email stpelagiasplayers@gmail.com or follow their Facebook group @StPelagiaRegis.

Much Ado About St. Pelagia’s Players at Regis

(Photo courtesy of St. Pelagia's Players)

By: Allison Upchurch, Staff Reporter

               Did you know that Regis had a Shakespeare players group? Well, we do! It’s the St. Pelagia’s Players, created by seniors Hannah Creasman and Frederika Gillbert. The Highlander got to sit down with Creasman to talk about the group and their production coming up in November.

               As students, Creasman and Gillbert felt there was a lack of theater on campus and came together to create the St. Pelagia’s Players. “We both felt that we would like to create a venue for the student body in which we could explore that form of art,” Creasman tells The Highlander.

               This group first production, “Much Ado About Nothing”, was put on last fall semester. “And it was great,” Creasman recalls, “We basically did everything by the seed of our pants. We scrapped together a cast and a venue and a tech crew, very small numbers of all those things. She directed and I produced and we put on a play and it was amazing and people came and laughed.”

               This November, the group will be tackling what is regarded as Shakespeare’s final production as a playwright, “The Tempest.” Originally the story of a royal party who get shipwrecked on an island sometime in the 1600’s, the St. Pelagia’s Players have decided to set their production in a more modern setting and give light to the issue of ocean pollution and waste.

               “We’re doing this to sort of bring out the pathos of what our consumerism and disposable lifestyle creates around the world both for nature and for other humans,” said Creasman.

               Creasman adds how hard at work the actors have been since auditions last April at learning their characters, the production, and the themes they want to portray. “There’s a lot of emotion going on during the whole thing. So we wanted to give the actors enough time to be with their characters and kind of live with those people whom they are going to embody on stage.”

               The call to do this particular play at this time is one that stems from the Jesuit lifestyle here at Regis. To connect it all together, Creasman reflects, “In terms of living for other people, in terms of the Jesuit lifestyle, just realizing and being aware of the small aspects of our lives that creates a huge ripple effect all around the world in terms of pollution is a very strong aspect to explore.”

               “The Tempest” will be performed Nov. 10, 11, and 12, and this group has room for a few extra helpers and performers. For more information on the play or how to join, email stpelagiasplayers@gmail.com and follow their Facebook group @StPelagiaRegis.