The Mechanicals were founded in Fall 2008 during the theater department's foreign study program in London. According to company manager Jay Ben Markson '10, the seven founding members were inspired to form the group when they visited the reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
"Our experiences seeing Shakespeare's plays at Stratford and the Globe made a strong impression on us," Markson said.
Membership in the company has since grown from seven to 16 members. The company typically holds auditions at the end of each term, learns their lines during interim and rehearses mostly on weekends from the start of the term until opening night. Since their inaugural performance of "Twelfth Night" in February 2009, the Rude Mechanicals have performed a Shakespeare play each term of the normal school year, including "Romeo and Juliet" in the Spring and "As You Like It" in the Fall.
This weekend's performance was well-executed and engaging. The members of the company delivered their lines with remarkable precision, overcoming the challenges presented by the Shakespeare's dense language save for a few minor fumbles. The cast performed with passion but without exaggeration, calling audience members to focus on the power of Shakespeare's words.
The performance also featured impressive staging. Taking advantage of the Bentley Theater's blackbox setup, performers appeared from several different corners of the room and directed their dialogue towards the audience, which was seated on three of the four sides of the stage. Intense fight scenes were displayed on the main stage, whereas scenes with compelling dialogue occurred on the floor, reigning in the audience and preserving the element of surprise. The acts flowed seamlessly and scene changes were effortless.
The action took place against a sparse backdrop composed of bare-bones technical elements. The only set piece was a stark metal table on which dusty glasses and bottles of wine perched at the beginning of the second act. With the exception of the three witches, who sported lacy black dresses, teased hair and conspicuous makeup, the cast members wore plain, almost pedestrian, clothing mostly black button-down shirts and dress pants. The use of props was sparse, including only a tarnished crown, a few daggers, fake blood and clunky wooden swords.
This minimalist approach to the Scottish Play is in keeping with the mission of the Rude Mechanicals "to show people at Dartmouth how powerful Shakespeare's words can be, by themselves, without those elements of spectacle that we associate with theater," according to Markson.
"The language in these plays really can stand on its own," Markson added. "All you need is actors, an almost bare stage and the words."
In addition to showcasing Shakespeare's language, the plain costumes and rudimentary scenery provided a striking backdrop for the company members' skillful performances. As Macbeth, Markson captured the tortured nature of the tragic hero, especially in his rendition of the famous dagger soliloquy. Markson was particularly effective in portraying Macbeth's guilt during a scene in which he encounters the spirit of Banquo, portrayed by Neil Basu '11. Markson's solemn delivery of the "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" speech was stirring, alerting the audience that a tragic ending was imminent.
Other notable performances included those by Adrian Garcia '10, who offered comic relief as the Porter, and Willa Johann '10, who as Lady Macduff carried out the scene of her murder with just the right amount of drama.
The true show-stoppers, however, were Megan Rosen '10 and David Mavricos '10. Rosen flawlessly embodied the role of the conniving, seductive, power-hungry Lady Macbeth. Rosen's best scene was that in which Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost and Lady Macbeth tries to convince the dinner guests that this is a normal occurrence. Rosen infused quick wit into this scene, adequately capturing Lady Macbeth's manipulative nature. Rosen also skillfully portrayed Lady Macbeth's downward spiral into guilt and depression. The actress's delivery of Lady Macbeth's most famous utterance "Out, out damned spot" was also memorable.
Mavricos' portrayal of Macduff represented the most impassioned acting in this weekend's performance. His interpretation of Macduff's lamentation that his wife and children have been slain "at one fell swoop" was evocative. The acting in the scene in which Macduff realizes that he was "from his mother's womb untimely ripp'd" and thus would be the one to murder Macbeth was outstanding.
The end of the play, in which Macbeth is slain and Malcolm played by Aidan Nelson '12 ascends the throne, brought about rousing and well-deserved applause during the curtain call.
The fine performances are even more impressive given the show's short rehearsal period most terms, the Rude Mechanicals' performance takes place around the fourth or fifth week of term, so as not to prevent members of the company from participating in other theater department shows that typically occur later in the term.
"It's very stressful," Markson said. "But we keep doing it, because it is such a pleasure to be able to get our hands on Shakespeare."
