Transposing William Shakespeare’s Macbeth from the bleak moors of Scotland to the sultry streets of New Orleans is just the first of director Andi Chapman’s multiple strokes of genius in re-envisioning The Scottish Play to all-around stunning effect at A Noise Within.

The tale Shakespeare has to tell may be the same one that has shocked and riveted audiences for the past four hundred years but director Chapman signals from the get-go that its execution will be thrillingly brand-new.

Starting things off with a Magic Castle-worthy “now you see it, now you don’t” stage illusion signals not just that Lady Macbeth (Julanne Chidi Hill) is in mourning for a baby she has “given suck” to and lost, but that we’re about to witness something very much out of the ordinary, an impression quickly confirmed by the extended battle sequence that follows, the first of numerous instances in which Ned Mochel’s fight choreography proves in a class by itself.

 Dontae Winslow’s seductive Bourbon Street blues score only adds to the steamy heat as Macbeth (Kamal Bolden) and his Lady begin plotting to overthrow the newly crowned King Malcolm (Randolph Thompson) even if it means bloody murder, and be forewarned, there will be blood. There. Will. Be. Blood.

The production’s late nineteenth/early twentieth century New Orleans setting is not only an atmospheric plus, it allows director Chapman to re-envision Macbeth’s Three Witches (a sizzling Joy DeMichelle, Mildred Marie Langford, and Roshni Shukla) as Voodoo priestesses, making their “double double toil and trouble” incantations all the more spellbinding.

And speaking of atmosphere, there’s probably never been an A Noise Within production to top this one where atmospheric production design is concerned, from Winslow’s N’Awlins-evoking score to Andrew Schmedake’s moody, dramatic lighting to Jeff Gardner’s chills-inducing sound design to Wendell C. Carmichael’s striking array of costumes.

Most sensational of all are Nicholas Santiago’s breathtaking projections, locale-establishing backdrops that give Stephanie Kerley Schwartz’s ingeniously conceived set the depth of a 3D movie, at least for those whose seats afford them a full-on view of the A Noise Within stage.

There’s not a weak link among Macbeth’s diverse, inclusive, and downright superb cast of featured players, completed by Noemi Avalos (Fleance), Michael Boatman (Banquo), Ben Cain (Macduff), Daniel J. Kim, Mochel (Ross) Alex Morris (Duncan), Randolph Thompson (Malcolm), and Ahkei Togun, not only as actors but as stage combatants,

Ensemble members Norman Campos, Joseph Darby, Robert De Loza, Tony Jimenez, and Angel Monzon shine too as do child actors Brooklyn Bao and Koa Spiegel.

Still, no matter how sterling a supporting ensemble, no Macbeth can soar without a pair of leads capable of delivering the goods where passion, lust for power (and for each other), and a capacity for violence and madness are concerned, and Bolden and Hill prove themselves more than up to these challenges, igniting so much heat between than that reteaming them as Stanley and Blanche for a Chapman-directed A Streetcar Named Desire ought to top A Noise Within’s Must-Produce list.

Not only that, but I’d be remiss not to mention a pair of mad scenes almost worth the price of admission, a hypnotic Hill ready for her closeup in a tour-de-force “out damned spot” monolog and a crazed Bolden attacking the ghost of one of his victims in a scene that Chapman lets us witness both though Macbeth’s eyes and  from the viewpoint of his shocked onlookers.

Also acing their design assignments are Tony Valdes (wigs and makeup) and Stephen Taylor (properties), and Indira Tyler deserves snaps for her sinuous dance choreography as well.

Understudies include Bernardo De Paula, Alessandra Manon, Kacie Rogers, Kelvin Shepard, and Ebony Wimbs.

Jessica Williams is assistant director. Miranda Johnson-Haddad is dramaturg and text coach. Sami Hansen is stage manager and Hope Matthews is assistant stage manager. Lucy Pollak is publicist.

Recent productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, and All’s Well That Ends Well have showcased A Noise Within’s gift for staging Shakespeare in romantic comedy mode, and the company’s talent for innovative Shakespeare proves every bit as impressive where tragedy is concerned.

Not only have you never seen a Macbeth more mesmerizing than this one, you probably never will. How’s that for a reason not to miss out on one of the year’s absolute best productions!

A Noise Within, 3352 East Foothill Blvd, Pasadena. Through March 9. Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30. Saturdays at 2:00 and 7:30, and Sundays at 2:00.
www.anoisewithin.org

–Steven Stanley
February 20, 2025
Photos: Craig Schwartz

Tags: A Noise Within, Los Angeles Theater Review, William Shakespeare