Stage: Totally Naked Ambition

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WE'VE SEEN SILENT SHAKESPEARE, Shakespeare with a Beatles theme and Shakespeare set in New York City. One might say that the Washington Shakespeare Company's latest offering is a stripped-down telling of a story about naked ambition laid bare.

That description comes partly from the fact that the actors perform "Macbeth" without clothing, but it also refers to the production's minimalist and primitive feel. The actors work virtually without props on a bare stage surrounded by tall wooden totems.

"Macbeth" director Jose Carrasquillo said in the production's press release that his aim was not to use nudity to titillate, but to make it a metaphor for the play's raw themes.

To an extent, the play is a natural fit for such endeavors, particularly in the story's supernatural scenes and in the way the actors hover or stand stock still next to the stage when not on it. Between the dusky lighting and spotty body makeup, the actors appear to be denizens of a dark underworld, a conceit that works well in a play like "Macbeth."

The production becomes rather ambiguous when its actors take on multiple parts; as Macbeth, Daniel Eichner is the only performer with only one role. In an interesting twist, Kathleen Akerley plays both Lady Macbeth and Hecate, queen of the witches.

Without clothing or disguise, the actors have the difficult task of distinguishing themselves only with body language.

» Clark Street Playhouse, 601 South Clark St., Arlington, through July 15, $25-$35; 800-494-8497.

Written by Express contributor Erin Trompeter
Photo by Ray Gniewek/WSC