Five Towns College brings ‘Macbeth’ to life with a modern edge

By Grace Bonamico

Photos by Adrian Kartalozi

Note: This recap is from Saturday’s performance.

Five Towns College brought William Shakespeare’s Macbeth to life with a powerful and modern twist. The tragedy follows the Scottish general Macbeth (Alex McLaughlin), who, after hearing a prophecy from three witches, murders King Duncan (Charles Houser) to seize the throne. Urged on by his ambitious wife, Macbeth spirals into guilt, paranoia, and tyranny, leading to civil war, Lady Macbeth’s (Lilly Genovese and Symone Elise) descent into madness, and his own downfall at the hands of Macduff (Jamil Denard).

Set in a vaguely modern military world, FTC Theatre’s version heightened the play’s timeless themes of greed and power. “Leaders throughout history have succumbed to the allure of, and desire for, power,” said show director Dr. David Krasner in the Director’s Note. “The French Emperor Napoleon said: ‘Power is my mistress. I have worked too hard at her conquest to allow anyone to take her away from me.’ Shakespeare’s play explores the same ambition and lust, creating Macbeth and Lady Macbeth who aspire to be God-like.”

For Krasner, Macbeth was more than a classic to reinterpret; it was a chance to revisit a personal milestone. “Directing Macbeth was one of the most fulfilling and exciting experiences I’ve had at FTC,“ he said. “I performed in the play 50 years ago and have wanted to revisit it ever since. I finally found the supportive school and the talented students who could present my vision of this extraordinary play.”

That vision came to life through striking simplicity. The production’s minimalist set —a single wall with curtain entrances —allowed the story, language, and lighting to take center stage. The technical crew’s work amplified the emotional intensity on stage. “We’ve been working really hard on the lights,“ said lighting crew member Asher Zive. “They help to convey emotion. We have some really cool effects in the show to add impact to the fight scenes, to convey the mental conflict that occurs within our characters, and the entire crew is very proud of what we’ve put together.”

The combination of strong performances and creative design left audiences impressed. “The emotion that goes into it and the acting definitely tells the story very well,“ said Mass Communication student Max Rappaport. “I was definitely very happy and engaged when I saw it live.”

Viewers were especially drawn to the chemistry between the leads. “Alex is such an amazing leading man, and Lilly was such a standout performance to me,“ said Film and Television major Joey Cicchelli. “And I really just can’t wait to see what they do in the future.”

The role of Lady Macbeth was particularly notable, as it was the only one double-cast. Krasner said the decision reflected the high level of student talent. “I double-cast Lady Macbeth because two strong actresses auditioned, and I wanted to give each the opportunity to embody one of the greatest roles in theatre,“ he said.  Symone Elise stepped into role on Friday and Sunday and Lilly Genovese on Thursday and Saturday.

For the actors, stepping into Shakespeare’s world was both a challenge and a thrill. “By the end of the rehearsal process, my script was so full of character notes it was barely legible anymore,“ said Lilly Genovese. “Lady Macbeth is so interesting and is also so dark; her immediate thoughts jump to murder and to being an overall bad person. My first step to being able to play her well was to get past my subconscious judgment of her actions and motivations and just fully accept her as the character she is. It was so fun playing a character who has such twisted desires and getting to indulge in all the technical aspects that entail such as the daggers we used, the fake blood, etc.. As stereotypical as it sounds, I just had to sink my teeth into the role and let myself go for it.” 

Even the smaller roles carried weight and demanded commitment. Tryston Bellon, who played Lennox, was killed near the end of the play and had to remain almost motionless onstage for nearly 15 minutes. “It was fun,“ Bellon said. “It’s a real experience to die and then immediately be resurrected for curtain call.”

From its evocative lighting to its emotionally charged performances, FTC’s Macbeth delivered a bold, modern take on Shakespeare’s classic. The production proved that even after centuries, the dark ambition at the heart of Macbeth still cuts deep.

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