A ONE-MAN SHAKESPEAREAN STORY.Byline: Evan Henerson Theater Critic IT'S NOT REALLY a revelation that Stephen Dillane Stephen Dillane (born 30 November 1956) is a Tony Award-winning British actor. Biography Early life Dillane was born Stephen Delaney[1] in London, England to an Australian surgeon father and an English mother. , one of Britain's more highly regarded stage actors, should want to take a shot at playing Shakespeare's Macbeth. Or that CalArts' Center for a New Theater artistic director Travis Preston might have an itch to wreak a little havoc with ``Macbeth'' Since Preston and Dillane have a history, the actor is playing Macbeth - and every other character in the play - through Sunday at Walt Disney Concert Hall's REDCAT REDCAT The Roy and Edna Disney/Calarts Theater space. What's actually unexpected here is how rather perfunctory ``Macbeth (A Modern Ecstasy)'' proves to be. Dillane - utilizing no props, scene changes or exits - plays the ambitious Thane thane n. 1. a. A freeman granted land by the king in return for military service in Anglo-Saxon England. b. A man ranking above an ordinary freeman and below a nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England. 2. of Glamis, his murderous Lady, unlucky King Duncan and every other speaking character. Three musicians provide intermittent accompaniment composed by Vinny Golia. The aim is textual immediacy: Macbeth as channeler of his own downfall. ``A Modern Ecstasy'' isn't composed of histrionics, quick changes, multiple voices or ``look at me'' mannerisms. Dillane can carry on a conversation between two people with little more than a strategic head bob, an altered cadence or an inflection. Preston stages the work on a nondescript non·de·script adj. Lacking distinctive qualities; having no individual character or form: "This expression gave temporary meaning to a set of features otherwise nondescript" floor of back sand backed by solid white partitions. And Dillane ends up against every wall and all but burrowing in that sand. Duncan's heir, Malcolm, has a stutter stut·ter n. A phonatory or articulatory disorder characterized by difficult enunciation of words with frequent halting and repetition of the initial consonant or syllable. v. To utter with spasmodic repetition or prolongation of sounds. . Lady Macbeth - for reasons largely incomprehensible - delivers a substantial portion of her lines in French. The drunken porter accompanies his ``knock, knock, knock'' refrain with pelvic thrusts. An audience member should be able to sift out to search out with care, as if by sifting. See also: Sift the major players. But given the sheer number of players and Dillane's relative subtlety, it would help to know the play going in. Evan Henerson, (818) 713-3651 evan.henerson(at)dailynews.com MACBETH (A MODERN ECSTASY) - Two and one half stars Where: REDCAT at Walt Disney Concert Hall This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details. This article has been tagged since September 2007. , 631 W. Second St., Los Angeles. When: 8:30 tonight through Sunday. Tickets: $10 to $40. (213) 237-2800, www.redcat.org. In a nutshell: Ambitious but not consistently involving one-man rendition of Shakespeare's ``Macbeth.'' Stephen Dillane stands bravely alone. |
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