The Invictus’ ‘Macbeth’ is a Murderously Killer Production

Closing their 2024 season, Invictus Theater Company presents “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” an adaptation faithful to the source material, while still abundant with creative risks.

Just after the Halloween season, the infamous Scottish play, “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” opened Nov. 4 to a full house at the Windy City Playhouse in Irving Park. 

The 400-year-old Shakespeare play details the Scottish Lord Macbeth’s rise to power after he receives a prophecy from three witches. Through vengeful killing and paranoid visions, Macbeth stops at nothing to maintain the throne, ultimately leading to his demise. 

Directed by Sarafina Vecchio, the play shares thematic parallels to this year’s presidential election. “Even though the production is set 1000 years in the past, the play’s many themes are still very current,” Vecchio says. It examines how newfound power can quickly snowball if left unchecked — and how fast corruption can fester.

The black box theater was transformed into a murky, untamed forest. Bones hung from vegetation and candles provided light to shadowed niches hidden among overgrowth of dry grasses and weeds. Vines and fog wrapped around the stage, creating an intriguing yet sinister environment to entice the viewer.

As the audience enters, the three witches are entangled on the steps, playing with mud and bones, letting out sporadic screeches. The witches are both actors and audience members, squatting and watching from the aisle when they’re not in scenes.

While the set dressing is stationary, the performers aren’t bound by the confines of the stage. Characters deliver soliloquies directly into the eyes of viewers and climb over the railing to directly face the audience. 

The intimate atmosphere meant every bead of sweat was visible. The heightened tension could be felt through the sounds of bloody hands rubbing together, providing a sonic grimness of vile slaughter. 

Just before intermission, Banquo is brutally stabbed to death, a pool of blood painting the floor around him. As the lights come up and the actors clear the area, the puddle of blood is left untouched on the ground, forcing the audience to be aware of the macabre sight and avoid it during intermission. Grotesque details like these not only fit the narrative of “Macbeth,” but function to elevate it. 

Comedic gems unique to this production include Banquo’s son Fleance struggling to brandish a sword, almost killing Macbeth in the process, and when the men Macbeth hired to kill Banquo refuse to kneel for the king. These gaffs, while humorous, still kept tensions running high.

Mikha’el Amin, who plays the title character, and Carolyn Kruse, who plays Lady Macbeth, encapsulate their characters’ descents into madness after each deception and murder.

Lady Macbeth’s incoherent, sleepwalking ramblings provoked chills as she held out her arms and stared hauntingly with a horrified expression of guilt. 

Amin’s portrayal of Macbeth shined in his mental breakdown at a banquet when he saw Banquo’s ghost, masterfully switching from calm to crazed without seeming comical. 

Michael B. Woods’ depiction of Macduff is genuine and meticulously crafted. After learning his wife and children were slaughtered on Macbeth’s orders, Macduff’s heart-wrenching monologue forces the audience into a silence broken only by his grief-stricken sobs. 

On a weaker note, Diego Longoria’s Malcolm is painfully overacted, confusing emotion with simply raising his voice. Upon learning that his father — Duncan, King of Scotland — was murdered, Longoria shouts with unfounded furor, a web of saliva is visible — overkill even for a play as gruesome as “Macbeth.”

A highlight was the final series of fight sequences, choreographed by Violent Delights, a duo comprised of Jay Donley and Amber Wuttke. Under Violent Delights’ direction, the final battle between Macbeth and Macduff spans the entire theater, full of clashing swords, intricate formations and a — literal — killer ending.

Invictus’ production of “The Tragedy of Macbeth” fuses modern theatre with the Shakespearean play to create a captivating — and bloody — commentary on the risks of ambition and power.

“The Tragedy of Macbeth” performs Friday through Monday until Dec. 15 at The Windy City Playhouse. Tickets are available online.