Ava Roy Adapts the Bard to Seaside Civil War Landmark

 by A.J. Jefferson

“And what seem’d corporal melted / As breath into the wind…”  A blustery Pacific gale buffets us at We Players’ “Macbeth” as we huddle together below that engineering marvel, the Golden Gate Bridge. At Fort Point, a Civil War monument, traffic drones from above, the wind howls and the Pacific spray whips us. This outdoor theater attracts an audience of hearty, daring souls.

We Players’ Captains command: “Diamonds to the left, Crescents to the right,” drawing battle lines. I catch the eye of the percussionist and hope that his fingers can withstand the brutal chill. Disjointed, funky music plays as the Wyrd Sisters cavort onto Fort Point’s vast stage, evoking Coltrane. The music reaches into the dark corners of our souls.

We Players are celebrating twenty-five years of fierce, ambitious, dangerous, and regal performances. Their cast of female and non-binary performers win the night as they listen intently for verbal cues in the howling wind. While Fort Point was never attacked, now it’s being attacked by the Imposter-Prez who wants to slash and burn the U.S. Forest Service.

We Players’ leader Ava Roy, super-smart and disciplined, will stand strong against the gales assaulting us from Washington. Her “Macbeth”—over two hours long—confronts head-on the Pacific winds which at times obscure the actors’ bold choices. When we descend three flights of treacherous, steep stairs, with The Wyrd sisters wailing over the winds, we struggle to hear them. \Captains of the guard shout commands; sprigs of pine are thrust into our freezing hands. Energy is building, the Fort is looming, and the boisterous Pacific gale is momentarily still.

Nature conspires. Dark figures emerge, shadows reveal broadswords and steely-eyed warriors. But they must battle the stairs, too, while delivering challenging dialogue. They hurl themselves forward, then back down to the fort’s floor for the coup de grâce.

My nostrils begin to flare with expectation of the bitter end as Macbeth’s throat is slit. But the sheer physical workout of the evening makes me want to see “this bloody butcher and his fiend-like queen” meet their fates.

As Macbeth, Ava Roy is cajoling, conniving, and regal in a musty corner of the Fort. Lady Macbeth (intriguing Ann Podlozny) displays the arts of seduction as she gazes into the future, not realizing or accepting that all will be for nought. She conducts that quiet, direct conversation that women, suppressed over millennia, know all-too-keenly—a beautiful moment.

Have you ever played the game, “Never Ever, have I Ever?” Well, never ever have I ever attended an Opening Night where I was that one person to be over-dressed. Project Runway is not cut out for this scene, baby, let me tell you. The rest of the audience knew better than I did: I came dressed to impress. Child, they came dressed to withstand. I saw several petite audience members wearing three and four layers of clothing—beanies, hoodies, and gloves (all matching, of course, it’s San Francisco, after all).

As you prepare your minds and hearts for this assault on the soul from William Shakespeare and We Players by listening to the brief on-line talk by the Bay Area’s brilliant dramaturg, Philippa Kelly, make sure you also prepare your bodies. Lay out your layers and prepare for an evening like none other.

“Macbeth at Fort Point” –adapted & directed by Ava Roy, assisted by Lana Richardson, music by Charlie Gurke, costumes by Brooke Jennings, lighting by Nic Candito, set/props by JD Durst, at Fort Point, by We Players, San Francisco. Info: weplayers.org – to May 18, 2025.

Cast: Weyrd Sisters: María Ascención Leigh, Julie Douglas, Chris Steele; Duncan: Britt Lauer; Malcolm: Anjoli Aguilar; Macbeth: Ava Roy; Lady Macbeth: Ann Podlozny; Macduff: Ling Ling Lee; Lady Macduff: Alexandra Rivers; Macduff Child: Britt Lauer; Banquo: Erin Mei-Ling Stuart; Fleance: Isabelle Barkey; Porter/Ross: Libby Oberlin; Murderers/Messengers: Erin Mei-Ling Stuart, Alexandra Rivers, Britt Lauer, and Anjoli Aguilar.

Banner photo: Fort Point National Landmark, San Francisco. Photo: Mark Kitaoka