Contributing writer's log, Stardate 20018.9. On a mission from the U.S.S. Lobo, I have been sent forward in time in order to investigate certain court intrigues which may affect every single citizen of the planet Scotland.
Upon my arrival, however, it became increasingly evident that I'd been sent to a disturbing alternate universe in which Scottish forces had overthrown British Parliament, hallucinogens ruled the land and the centuries-peaceful Norway had declared war on England's bonny kilted cousin. Plus, every member of the populace had taken on the argot of iambic pentameter.
This is the world of 2008, the setting for director Matt Andrade's production of "Macbeth" - translated from the original Klingon, of course - now playing at Theatre X on campus.
Andrade has set Shakespeare's work in this bizarre new world to great effect, pumping theatre-goers to the hilt with tunes industrial, hip-hop and Bjsrk - who, at this point in human history has no doubt been canonized.
This modern take on "Macbeth" also features trappings typical to such adaptations: soldiers geared in camouflage, a gaggle of media lackeys and the like.
The script has been trimmed to a neat two hours and the cast to a round dozen.
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Since this is Shakespeare, most of the onus of "Macbeth" falls on its actors, most of which perform admirably.
The scene is set, of course, with the witches' monologue forecasting little more than doom and gloom.
To the tone of over-pumping techno beats and rave-induced lighting, this trio - made up of Sabina Baxter, Kimberly Liphardt and Anne Stinnett - performs their lines, leading to the belief that "fair is foul and foul is fair," and in the process, makes one hell of a sweet sample for some literate DJ out there.
Though the program notes tell us that these witches are actually leaders of a gang of influential drug-mongers, their hip-writing, gun-toting, butt-smoking, bong-hitting antics tell us explicitly that these bad grrrls are definitely getting high on their own supply.
No matter - their function is served.
Nick Lopez properly plays Macbeth himself as a guy way out of his depth, always unsure of himself, yet bubbly-happy upon hearing of early victories.
Kate Costello's black-garbed, drug-addicted Lady Macbeth is certainly insidious enough to nicely fill the role of the befuddled one's "better half."
Costello pours relish into the role and, thanks to Andrade's spin on the plot, gets mileage out of references like "the milk of human kindness" and "spirits that tend on human thoughts" between exercising nostrils with her little brown bottle.
Jason Nious is particularly good as the loyal and steadfast general Banquo, playing him, well ... loyally and steadfastly.
When the bodies start dropping, the audience may well miss Banquo the most.
While portrayals of MacDuff and Malcolm, played by Chris Payne and Rafael Gallegos, feel a bit low-key, this may merely be the result of the post-intermission scenes which feel suspiciously like the beginning of hangover induced by all the pharmaceutical intake of previous scenes.
And where would "The Scottish Play" be without bagpipes?
This "Macbeth's" got them, too, courtesy of - according to the program - "Joel, Nate & Jill," bumpering curtain rise, curtain fall and intermission.
Ah, what a wonderful, unearthly instrument.
I must get Mr. LaForge to rig me up one of those upon return to this ship.
Beam me up, Falstaff!
"Macbeth" will run Aug. 29- Sept 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Sept. 5-8 at Theater X in the Center for the Arts, with tickets ranging from $5-$7. For more information, call 277-4569.
