From Feb. 12 to 14, the St. Olaf Shakespeare Troupe put on a production of “Macbeth” in the Art Barn that not only captured the tragedy of the play, but also the loyalty and courage within the whole ensemble of the play . The production made an effort to equally value all roles , rather than only letting the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth shine within the performance. This directional decision by Aiden Busse ’27 was much needed to not only make the experience of watching the play feel more immersive, but also make “Macbeth” feel relevant to recent events. 

This student production used their small venue to their utmost ability, with sets that felt professional and acting that excelled many “Macbeths” I have seen in my life. The passion for Shakespeare from this club was clear to everyone in the audience; every performer on stage oozed with pure passion for the words they were speaking. 

The performance from Allison Staples ’28 as Lady Macbeth was one that kept me particularly enthralled. The actress used the anger of the character to her advantage, showing the true rage that a woman wanting power could have. It was not just a relentless yelling of “no” — Staples brought a greed to the character many in the audience relished in. 

The commitment to their characters did not end with Lady Macbeth. Everyone in the cast felt as if they lived for the words of Shakespeare, and the audience was happy to breathe it all in. And that we did, with the wonderful ambiance of the 70s-themed music and costumes to match the aesthetic. I was entranced by the entire performance, from the lights to the sound effects that filled the whole space. Moments where the witches were drowned in red lights and fake blood spattered across the stage made the entire space feel as if we were dropped into Scotland. 

In all, the dedication in this production was breathtaking to see, from the screams of grief that rang out through the theater by Macduff’s actor Oche Ali ’29 to the cackles of Eliana DeVoe ’29, who played the third witch, sent shivers through the room when she screamed about Macbeth’s demise. The performances were a spectacular feat of what our students can do here at St. Olaf, and we are all excited to see what more can come from the Shakespeare Troupe in the future.