Thinking Theater NYC

macbitches Written by Sophie McIntosh Directed by Ella Jane New Presented by the Chain Theatre 312 W. 36th Street, 4th Floor, Manhattan, NYC August 19-September 10, 2022 Caroline Orlando (center), Morgan Lui (Right), Laura Clare Browne, and Marie Dinolan. Photo by Wesley Volcy In Macbeth , King Duncan says of a man who betrayed him and was killed by a second man who will betray him in turn, "There's no art / To find the mind's construction in the face" ( Norton Shakespeare , 1.4.11-12). How much more true would this observation be if everyone were also professional actors? Playwright Sophie McIntosh draws inspiration from the Scottish play for macbitches , which she sets in an environment that can be every bit as defined by hierarchy, factionalism, and vaulting ambition as any royal court: a university theater program. Currently making its world premiere at the Chain Theatre, macbitches takes a funny, piercing, and poignant look at a quintet of young women who are nav...

Macbeth Redux Written by William Shakespeare Adapted and directed by Kathy Curtiss Presented by Renaissance Now Theatre & Film at Theatre Row 410 W 42 St., Manhattan, NYC August 17-20, 2022 Zachary Ballard (Macbeth) and Adam Argyle (Macduff). Photo by Jonathan Slaff. Unlike many recent productions of Shakespeare's Macbeth , Renaissance Now Theatre & Film's Macbeth Redux , adapted and directed by company's Artistic Director Karthy Curtiss, not only preserves but leans into its medieval Scottish setting, including in some wonderfully atmospheric use of Celtic music and song (the hauntingly lovely vocal performance by Keely Conrad, who also plays one of the witches, deserves special mention in that respect). While this backdrop might seem more traditional, Macbeth Redux features no shortage of transformative choices in its vibrant re-envisioning of this oft-adapted play. The most prominent change, in some ways, is the addition of dialogue in contemporary prose. These...