Artist Playground's "Macbeth": A Small Space With Big Minds

A review of Prelude to Macbeth by Artist Playground, a budding theater group born in a small condo unit.

Artist Playground's Macbeth: A Small Space with Big Minds

Artist Playground / Via scontent-sit4-1.xx.fbcdn.net

Last February 26, I watched James Chalmers’ Prelude to Macbeth, a one-act play that tells the story before the story – that is, the prequel to the epic Shakespeare tragedy of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Directed by Roeder Camañag and staged by Artist Playground (AP) as its third season opener, Prelude to Macbeth ran for just four days from February 23 to 26 but was staged with efforts as if it would be running for years.

Macbeth was played by Paul Jake Paule, who was hailed as Best Director and Best Featured Actor in a Play in Aliw Awards 2016. As Macbeth, Paule was able to show his acting prowess and ability to perform classic Shakespeare lines with gusto and passion – something not easily accomplished by many actors mainly because of the difficulty of the old English language. However, while Paule’s rendition of Macbeth was praise-worthy, there were two things that were just a little off. First, Paule’s haircut was still sporting some remnants of an undercut; Probably an attempt to grow it out before the show, that, unfortunately, didn’t make it (Because who had undercuts during Shakespeare’s time?). Second, it was evident that English was not Paule’s first language, mainly because of his accent. Perhaps this became more obvious to me because I had recently seen Paule in Dulaang UP’s Ang Katatawanan ng Kalituhan, a Filipino play where he played the lead role, and undoubtedly shone his best.

Artist Playground / Via scontent-sit4-1.xx.fbcdn.net

Paul Jake Paule as Macbeth in Artist Playground's Prelude to Macbeth.

Lorna Stewart (who would later become Lady Macbeth) was played by Cathrine Go, who was exceptional in the role. It was clear that Go understood the motivation of the character as seen in how well she would portray emotions in her performance. Lorna’s character brims with wit and sexuality that did not seem forced from Go. In reality, Prelude to Macbeth seemed more like the story of Lorna rather than Macbeth. Audiences are well-introduced to Lorna Stewart and her backstory is made deeper compared to any of the other characters. Her secrets and frustrations are what propel much of the story to move. For a character to be this central in a play, Go as an actor was definitely a good choice.

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Cathrine Go as Lorna Stewart in Artist Playground's Prelude to Macbeth.

The most interesting part about Prelude to Macbeth besides their talented line-up of actors from AP, is AP’s location. Situated in Unit 1701, Landsdale Tower, 86 Mother Ignacia, AP’s theater space is aptly called The Little Room Upstairs because their humble abode is a small condo unit turned into a blackbox theater. It has a capacity of just around 30 people, and even then, it would be jampacked. Nevertheless, it makes for a really good intimate theater experience – one small move and you would be on-stage with the actors themselves! The space at first may seem restricting, but as you go on watching the show, you realize that the small space gives you a chance to connect with the characters in ways that the big, grand theaters cannot offer. For theater lovers who want to explore the local scene, AP is a good place to put on your list. Ironically, such a small space makes one realize how big the imagination can get.

As for the four-day run of Prelude to Macbeth, it seems that the odds are in AP’s favor; They set to stage M Episode last June 16, running until July 1 – the full version of Macbeth’s tragedy.

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