Teller's Macbeth
Early in February I saw Macbeth at the Two River Theatre Company in Red Bank, NJ (last year, I saw Todd Robbin's excellent Charlatan's Seance there). Now, I have two degrees in theatre, and (forcibly) took a full semester of Shakespeare, but I rarely go to see it because the productions rarely speak to me (actually very few shows with a fourth wall do speak to me). This production, on the other hand, was great. A big part of that greatness is due to the involvement of Teller, the quieter part of Penn and Teller This production was apparently a lifelong dream of Teller's, because he viewed Macbeth as a magic show from day one. The magic was integral to the production, which is solid in every aspect. It's not high tech magic, but really seamless in its application and just a great show all around (even if I didn't get to sound design it--I asked Teller about it last year but he wanted to use a live percussionist, and the guy they found is very good). In addition, Teller who is a hardcore skeptic, made sure to say "Macbeth" every time he entered the theatre, which I think is great.
Anyway, why am I writing about a show that's already closed? Because while it's closed in New Jersey, it's now opened at the Folger in DC, and I think anyone in the area who loves solid live shows should go see it. Details here.
Very positive review posted here.