Only Vaulting Ambition (Highview Arts Center)
Macbeth: Guilty as Sin
Written by William Shakespeare
Adapted and Directed by Alyssa Rae Hendricks
Review by Kate Barry
Entire contents are copyright © 2026 Kate Barry. All rights reserved.
Fewer stories of corruption hit harder than Macbeth. A nobleperson is so hungry for power; they go on a rampage, killing both adversaries and friends. And what about those witches? Is Macbeth fulfilling a prophesy? Highview Arts Center’s current offering of the Scottish play, cleverly titled Macbeth: Guilty as Sin presents the thane as a greedy politician with ruthless intentions in a faith based community.
In case you did not read Macbeth in your high school English class, the plot is pretty straight forward. Macbeth learns he is destined to be king from three witches and makes it his mission to destroy anyone in his path. The king’s son Malcolm and fellow nobleman Macduff have other plans. The actions are bloody and no one is safe.
With two large green and blue stained glass windows hanging upstage, the themes of guilt and fate translate into something out of a Southern church. Actors speak the Bard’s speech with southern accents while dressed in simple costumes of greens and blacks. The small touches create a rural flair, far from the rolling hills of Scotland. Matthew Brown’s clear and striking acoustic guitar along with the folky spirituals solidifies the church-like aesthetic.
Highview mainstay Jordan Aikin is a cocky Macbeth. Hypnotized by the promise of power and starving for the throne, Aikin’s confidence drives the thane with nearly indefatigable ambition. As Macbeth’s gruesome excursion proceeds, Aikin shows off impressive range. The Dagger speech is riddled with paranoid confusion while the “Tomorrow and Tomorrow” speech is both boastful and guarded with noticeable hesitation. Aikin’s Macbeth shares ambition with Shannon Watts’ turn as Lady Macbeth. With an icy stoicism, Watts’ conniving queen is driven mad with a gradual shift. She brings a hyper focused tension with a compulsive obsession to the “out damn spot” scene.
As Macbeth pursues power, many fall victim to their plight. Ryan Hater’s Banquo is a reliable friend and ethically sound. Brooke Spatol’s Macduff seeks revenge for their family yet considers the future of Scotland as well. As Macbeth sees their eventual demise, Spatol provides an eerie self reflection on what Macduff’s fate could be and what similarities it will hold to Macbeth.
Now for the three witches. These weird sisters establish a presence that is distinct and lingering. Hermonie Bean-Mills, Ashley Taylor and Katherine Summerfield create a mystical unit that jigs, chants and conjures mysteries and premonition. Bean-Mills’ turn as Porter provides some dark comedic word play as well. Whether they are cackling, creepily grinning or exclaiming “double, double toil and trouble,” these witches leave an impression. Each actor slides in and out of various other characters who are involved in Macbeth’s volatile quest for power. With slight witchy beats throughout, the final moments of the play imply that perhaps these weird sisters controlled the fate of Scotland all along.
Macbeth: Guilty as Sin at Highview Arts Center is action packed. As these nobles slay for power, destiny is put to the test. This production has plenty of twists and turns but the rightful ruler takes the throne and as they say, “what’s done is done.”
Macbeth: Guilty as Sin
Highview Arts Center
October 2-11th
7406 Fegenbush Ln.
Louisville, KY 40228
(502) 783-6609
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