Capsule Reviews

MacbethDirector Fontaine Syer has relocated Shakespeare's grim tale about ambition run amok from its native Scotland to the killing sands of Sudan, where bleached skulls are heaped as high as in Hamlet. In this sere world, the gaping gashes on the castle wall do everything but bleed real blood. David Alan Anderson brings weight and substance to the title role. As Lady M, Elizabeth Van Dyke finds poignancy in a character who is too often simply unsympathetic. From the first scene to the last, the tight production (two hours plus intermission) exudes such intelligence and imagination that even its shortcomings are easy to excuse. Performed by the Saint Louis Black Repertory Company through April 10 at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. Tickets are $25-$37.50 ($10 rush seats for students available ten minutes before showtime). Call 314-534-3810. (DB)