Toil, trouble laid bare in Torch's 'Macbeth'

Torch Theater resists the modern urge to transport Shakespeare into the 20th century with its "Macbeth," which opened Saturday at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage. There is not a pinstripe suit or a tank top in Emily Heaney's costume scheme; the weapons are broadswords, not Uzis. There are no Third World dictators or cross-dressing witches in director David Mann's vision -- just a classic faith in the heart of this fable about ambition, fates, superstition and guilt. This dark view, reflected by Michael Hoover's set design of pillars and platforms -- painted black -- and Marcus Dilliard's smoky lighting scheme, reveals an articulate "Macbeth" that breathes with humanity rather than politics or the false desire to be "relevant."

Timeless work is relevant.

By choosing clarity over concept, Torch's production illuminates Shakespeare's dark characters in ways not always evident in other stagings. We begin to understand how natural it is for Sean Haberle's Macbeth, a war hero on the constant cusp of death, to seek out witches who predict his fate -- eagerly devouring their evil stew in a wonderful moment of physical purpose. Stacia Rice's Lady Macbeth, perhaps recognizing that her husband's candle will burn brightest only for a short season, commits to seize the day and drives his ambition toward its own destruction.

Haberle and Rice provide many good reasons to see this show. Haberle's visage is made for the tortured Thane of Cawdor -- all jagged angles and steely eyes. A kinetic and reflexive actor, Haberle feels his way along, discovering and unpeeling the mysteries as Macbeth discovers his journey. The actor said in an interview recently that he sees Macbeth as a freight train going downhill, and his performance gets that sense of inevitability.

From the moment she grabs her man by the chest and throws him on a bed in feral ardor, Rice lives the manipulative confidence of Lady Macbeth. She pushes him with desperate urgency in her gestures, mood and intent, accepting no doubt or angst. When the insanity finally cracks her resolve in the famous sleepwalking scene, Rice offers a strong vision of what hopeless guilt looks like.

Mann keeps "Macbeth" rightly focused on these two actors -- which only makes sense. And the Theatre Garage's intimacy adds to the clear passion of their acting. Yet, other roles add texture and dimension. What Mann and actor David Tufford do with the ghost of Banquo is a brilliant piece of surprise. Mo Perry as Hectate, the goddess of witches, and again as Lady Macduff continues to impress us with her fierce commitment and energy. Gary Geiken, who has had a good year on the small-theater scene, provides a well-spoken Macduff.

Some of the other acting is ham-and-egg -- workable but unspectacular. That matters little when the core is so strong.

Torch enters a different realm with this staging, something between a "small theater" and the next level -- whatever that is. In production values, acting talent and directorial concept, "Macbeth" sets the bar high for future productions.

Graydon Royce • 612-673-7299