Dreams, nightmares, and hallucinations often appear as resonant plot points in Shakespeare’s tragedies. “Sleep shall neither night nor day hang upon his pent-house lid,” one of the three Witches spews. And that sleeplessness becomes a curse that leads to the fall of the house of Glamis, the a rea Macbeth controls. Macbeth, Shakespeare’s famed Scottish Play, features the titular character and his compatriots wrestling with dreams, visions, prophecies, ghosts, and bloody spots. All this nocturnal activity of the mind leads him down a bloody path, which incites this military man to murder Duncan, take his throne, and instigate a battle, causing more deaths and his downfall at the hands of Duncan’s son. And, as is common in Shakespeare’s tragedies, by the end, the stage is filled with dead bodies.  Erik Harrison and Nicola Collett in ‘Macbeth.’ Photo courtesy of The Coil Project. The Coil Project, a nimble, decade-old troupe, founded on a whim in the backseat of a car by a couple of actors who thought they needed a company to produce both new plays and reimagine some classics, has taken on this complex and expansive work by telescoping it down to a nimble 90-minute production. Coil’s take on Macbeth slims down the five-act tragedy that centers on lust for power, corruption, and greed, into a tight performance for just three actors. “How?” might be the first question in downsizing this outsized drama. Credit for this exercise in fashioning this big story into intimate theater goes to director Mara Sherman, who adapted the work. No stranger to Shakespearean adaptation and cutting, she previously reenvisioned Hamlet for two women in the 2018 Capital Fringe Festival. The three actors, costumed in black knee-length tunics, leggings, army boots, and black nail polish, play 17 characters. The outfits become the base for the characters to transform; with the help of an identifying prop or bit of clothing, they become someone else. The bare stage floor, painted with a grid suggestive of tartan, is surrounded on three sides by seating, lending intimacy in the all-black setting to the drama that plays out at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop in Southeast DC. Reserved chairs on the sidelines serve as the off-stage and changing space for the trio of performers. You may find yourself seated next to an actor. With split-second timing, a codex of costumes and props detailed in the program (be sure to read it and keep it handy), some old-fashioned sound effects and hand drums — also created and played by the three-member cast — this Cliff Notes version sounds easier to consume than it actually is. As an example, Andrew Quilpa, a physically adept actor who morphs from the three Weird Sisters to King Duncan, and many other characters, carries a bird-handled cane for Duncan, then becomes his son, Malcom, sporting a bird brooch. Attention must be paid: Blink, and you could miss a major plot point or character switch. Andrew Quilpa in ‘Macbeth.’ Photo courtesy of The Coil Project. Erik Harrison identifies as Macbeth with a white knitted gauntlet (really a fingerless glove), and as the central character, he takes on fewer roles, but he too shapeshifts into Thane of Angus, the doctor’s assistant, and Malcolm’s uncle, when not onstage as the general who would be king. Lady Macbeth is identified initially by her white shawl. Nicola Collett is a rapacious wife as she pushes her husband to usurp power and build his fiefdom. Collett, too, manages lightning-quick changes: Banquo in a green arm cuff, to Lady Macbeth to Macduff, and back again. It’s head-snapping theater. And she effortlessly morphs from masculine to feminine characters, attesting to her astute body awareness, which drives characterization. Shakespearean English can be challenging for both performers and audiences. Collett tackles the complex text with the most conversational skill. Quilpa faces the extra challenge of playing nine roles, some with on-stage switches that occur across just a few seconds. Oddly, in playing this multitude of characters, a few odd choices have been made: as a thane Collett, for some reason, uses a South Boston accent, while Harrison picks up an accent from an indeterminate place in the American South for Malcolm’s uncle. The other out-of-character artistic decision is the choice to use an Indigenous Philippine language for the Three Witches’ incantation chant. Aside from the hard consonants and guttural sounds, what is the purpose? Amid all the power plays and political machinations, in the final moments, the mystery of ghostly prophesies attests that the fortune telling of Three Witches — Quilpa, in a Picasso-like cubist three-faced mask — comes true. Lady Macbeth, overcome by remorse, commits suicide (offstage); Macduff and Malcolm’s army of camouflaged troops advance.  The political and nationalistic combat that unfolds in the play suggests the moral struggles of these characters. In the close-in space of CHAW’s black box theater, where the performers are sometimes just inches away from the audience, the internal struggles of these characters should feel viscerally transparent. Sometimes, particularly evident in Collett’s portrayals, it works; other times, the demands of quick character changes muddy the performances.  For those interested in getting reacquainted with the Thane of Glamis and his Lady, the Coil Project provides a condensed experience. Just be sure you review the characters and plot summary before you dive into this production.  Running Time: 90 minutes, no intermission. Macbeth plays through December 20, 2025, presented by The Coil Project performing at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW), 545 7th Street SE, Washington, DC. Tickets ($20) are available online. Masks are required at all performances. MacbethPlaywright: William ShakespeareDirector/Adapter: Mara Sherman CASTNicola Collett (Lady Macbeth and others)Erik Harrison (Macbeth and others)Andrew Quilpa (Witches, Duncan, Malcolm, and others) Stage Manager: Leanne DinvernoProducer: Erik HarrisonFight Choreographer: Carl Brandt LongIntimacy Choreographer: Emily SucherLighting Designer: Jasper WeymouthLighting Assistant: Abby WeymouthStage Painter: Dom OcampoCostumes: Nicola Collett Mara ShermanPoster and Program: Hannah Day Sweet The post The Coil Project boils down ‘Macbeth’ with a cast of three appeared first on DC Theater Arts. ...read more read less