Short Shakespeare! Macbeth at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...Nothing in "Short Shakespeare! Macbeth," Bell's adaptation for the younger set (which he also directs), feels dumbed down, including the scurrilous jokes of the porter. Because "Macbeth" isn't exactly a yuk-fest to start with, it's probably a good thing that Bernard Balbot gets to cut loose with the double-entendres (though I'm not sure how many landed with the school-age audience with whom I viewed the show). They seemed to enjoy the down-and-dirty fight scenes and the "Stomp"-like percussive sound effects, led by composer/drummer Ethan Deppe. And though the show has to work around the set for the main stage offering of "As You Like It," the Forest of Arden makes a fittingly ominous stand-in for Birnam Wood."

ChicagoCritic - Recommended

"... this is a solid piece, and, as I stated before, it achieves its goal. I’m not sure that Macbeth is a play that should be done in 75 minutes; but, if it is, I believe a stronger production would be hard to come by. And for kids and their parents – it’s fantastic."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Somewhat Recommended

"...My one problem remains the cynical ending. In a production that has cut almost an hour from the action, Bell dares to add an ending that Shakespeare never could have endorsed and his audiences would have found repellent. He gives the final moment, not to Malcolm’s triumphant victory over evil, but to the witches--who apparently are just as ready to corrupt Malcolm as they did Macbeth. It’s implied that it’s only a matter of time before he starts slaughtering his own Scottish citizens."

Chicago Theater Beat - Recommended

"...Under the adaptation and direction of David Bell, Short Shakespeare! Macbeth detonates from lights up. The talented and ever-moving 14-member cast enters and exits with a frantic urgency. This enthralling pace is enhanced by drumming and flashing lights. The fight scenes are dangerously authentic. The physicality is a choreographed murderous masterpiece."