Macbeth Pays a Visit to Battery Park

By Sam Levine
POSTED JULY 18, 2008

How often do war, betrayal and the Staten Island Ferry make an appearance together on the same stage? New York Classical Theatre’s production of “The Tragedy of Macbeth” managed just that as it transported Shakespeare’s tragic characters from the castles of a war-torn Scotland to Castle Clinton, overlooking New York Harbor.

The play, directed by Stephen Burdman and performed 12 evenings this summer, began in front of the Battery Park castle. But the energetic troupe soon led its audience on a chase to many nearby settings, a different one for each scene.

In just one act, for example, they raced from Macbeth’s declaration of his claim to the Scottish throne, to  “England” where they saw Macduff plot to reclaim the throne, then off again, this time to Macbeth’s kingdom, where Lady Macbeth tried to forget the villainous role she played in the Duncan’s murder—and her husband’s rise to power. 

As audience members elbowed their way in pursuit of a clear view of the action, kids’ battle cries of “To war!” rang out from the stampeding crowd.

At times, nature stole the scene, with fireflies entering a witches tribunal, adding eeriness to an already haunting scene. And a heavy rainstorm one evening echoed the dark atmosphere of the play—until it was cancelled.

Huddled beneath the overhang of a nearby newsstand, Israeli tourists Uri Golani, Asaf Fishkin, and Mor Yaakobi, expressed their delight at what they had seen. 

“ When we usually see Shakespeare, the English is really hard to follow and the performance can become dull,” said Golani, who heard about the show while traveling on the 1 Train. “But in this performance the acting, especially Macbeth [played by Bryant Mason] along with the way that we constantly had to move around kept us entertained.”

By the end of the show, some in the audience looked like they’d just finished a work out at the gym as they headed to the nearest vendor for water.

“ It was sweaty, and kind of dirty,” said Barbara Fang, a visitor from Long Island, “ but I loved it because it definitely accentuated the chemistry.”

“ It was something new, it was interactive and most of all fun,” added her friend, Kristin Ward.

Actors echoed the sentiment.

 “ We get to interact with beautiful scenery and play with our environment every day. It really challenges us and spices things up,” remarked Josh Akin, who played Fleance. “Nature is the most beautiful set in the world.”

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