Scotland's come to Harlem... at least until the end of the month.
This summer, the Classical Theatre of Harlem is performing William Shakespeare's Macbeth in Marcus Garvey Park. Ty Jones, artistic director of the company, is playing the bloodthirsty tyrant.
I saw the show last night. Being that it's free and that the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in the park is a nice venue, you should definitely go. Roslyn Ruff is a wonderful Lady Macbeth, and the play features some great music.
My favorite performance, however, came from Anthony Vaughn Merchant as the porter. The performance takes some liberties with the text here. In the original, Shakespeare has the porter welcome to hell some infamous individuals from his own day. This porter welcomes some celebrities of today, including a certain orange-faced politician.
Last year, Classical Theatre of Harlem's production of The Tempest was better than The Public Theater's version in Central Park featuring Sam Waterston. While it's difficult to compare this production to the Public's Troilus and Cressida this year, I guarantee you that you'll see fight scenes just as good... and you won't have to wait in line.
Macbeth is playing until July 31st. For more information visit:
The Classical Theatre of Harlem
