The Crimson Stage performed the play “macbitches” by Sophie McIntosh at the Allen Bales Theater on Thursday and Friday. The play takes place entirely within an apartment near a college campus in Minnesota and centers on a group of young college actresses and their upcoming production of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.”
The play is primarily a dramatic comedy that comments on academia, theatre, female competition, feminism and the tension of working within an ultimately male-controlled environment. These conflicts are triggered by an unusual decision to cast a young freshman, Hailey — played by Sydney Waters, a freshman majoring in theatre — as the female lead, Lady Macbeth, instead of the talented senior Rachel — played by Ashton Hendrickson, a sophomore majoring in theatre.
The play opens with the initial reaction to the casting decision, with the upperclassmen’s shock and horror quickly contrasted against the jubilation of freshman Hailey. The play then moves into a night of drinking at Rachel’s apartment with Hailey and the other actresses: Cam, played by Kensey Lacroix, a sophomore majoring in French and political science; Lexi, played by Ana Avdellas, a sophomore majoring in acting; and Piper, played by Sophia Ellis, a senior majoring in theatre.
Tension and resentment over the casting choice are clear from the start, but for much of the runtime, they boil under the surface as the characters discuss the mundane practices of the theater, gossip about their male co-stars, and complain about their professor, Eric — all while drinking.
The link between personal experience, vice and maturity is a recurring theme. The young and inexperienced Hailey is marked as out of her depth and comfort zone from the start by her request for wine instead of liquor and her pained reaction to her first shot.
Later, as the topics turn to sex and relationships, her naïveté about the reputation of her male costar Zac — known for hooking up with his scene partners — illustrates her poor grasp of social cues and the theater group’s personal politics. This contrasts with the promiscuous and outgoing Cam, who delivers many of the play’s biggest laughs, and the seemingly self-assured and relaxed Lexi and Rachel, who are either well aware of or directly participating in much of the behind-the-scenes drama.
“Lexi is like a mean girl character, and she’s loyal till she dies. She wants the best for Rachel and she knows Haley’s in the way of that,” Avdellas said.
The character Piper serves as something of a bridge between the older girls and Hailey. A sophomore and former devout Christian, she represents a middle ground between the jaded and hedonistic upperclassmen and the bubbly, naïve Hailey. Piper functions as a moderating influence and the closest thing Hailey has to a protector in what she doesn’t realize is a deeply hostile environment.
“I as a person would hate Hailey, but Piper is trying to be the positive one and the one trying to make everyone get along, just kind of being the uplifting one,” Ellis said.
Eventually, the night comes to a head. Words are said and past actions revealed, leading to a violent confrontation fueled by feelings of resentment, jealousy and inferiority. As the audience looks on, the fourth wall briefly breaks — and then the curtain falls.
Themes of ambition, echoing Macbeth, are repeated throughout the play. The inciting dramatic incident is one ambitious actress beating out another for a role she believes she deserved. Feminine competition and its resulting tension with feminism are also central threads. While many of the actresses appear to be genuine friends, it’s clear they are in direct competition with one another — for everything from roles to attention — and that their friendships suffer as a result.
The performances were excellent across the board. Lacroix’s portrayal of Cam, a major comedic role, stood out.
“I’m usually like a dry and calm kind of character so it was fun getting progressively drunker and more outspoken since that isn’t typical for me,” Lacroix said.
Hendrickson’s Rachel and Avdellas’s Lexi also deserve praise for their climactic confrontation that closed the play.
The single-location setting allowed the set design to make the most of a small space, while certain lighting tricks — especially a late moment when the spotlights emphasize the breaking of the fourth wall — were particularly effective.
Future Crimson Stage projects and productions will be made public on their website and social media.
