What if the three witches from the beginning of Shakespeare’s famous Scottish Play were actually three of your favorite sitcom witches from the 1960s? Wildflower Productions answers this question in an ambitiously creative mix of situational comedy with classic tragedy in “MacB Witched”. Taking the challenge of condensing the plot of MacBeth into a single episode of the 60s show “Bewitched”, director/playwright Emily Sanderlin Osburn thoughtfully blends characters, plots, and heightened dialogue and punctuates it with tongue-in-cheek modern puns that fit perfectly within the style of the TV show.
The iconic Samantha carries the double duties of Lady Macbeth and Witch as she, along with her mother Andora and fan favorite Aunt Clara, attempt to prophesize and steer Samantha’s partner, Darren, into the kingly position of Vice President of his ad company. Streamlining the events of MacBeth’s ill fated banquets into one single dinner party, a little magic goes a long way, but unfortunately, so does murder, even with some hilarious moments and mishaps happen along the way.
The performers are incredibly game, energizing the dialogue of the Bard with the campiness of the original sitcom, and with some fantastic costumes to match. Dawn Youngs embraces the exuberant role of Endora, and Dominique Lorae initially embodies more of the anxiety of Darren over the anger of Macbeth. However, when dealing with period-appropriate misogyny from her workplace, she is more than able to access that murderous intent. With the arrival of more guests – played by the talented double cast of Sara Cooper and Cory Busch – the complications start to add up, and revelations of the true mettle of our characters are made. Although the show veers a little abruptly from its lighthearted beginning to its violently tragic ending, lovers of either Shakespeare or sixties sitcoms should take a look at this uniquely multifaceted endeavor.
