Holy Trinity Catholic High School delivered an exceptional production of Shakespeare's Macbeth as part of the Cappies program, transporting the timeless tragedy to a desolate steampunk wasteland. The performance, which took place on April 17, 2026, showcased the talents of student actors and crew under the direction of Stavros Sakiadis.
Plot and Setting
Shakespeare's shortest and bloodiest tragedy follows Macbeth, a Scottish general who receives a prophecy from three witches that he will become king. Driven by ambition and urged by his ruthless wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and seizes the throne. His subsequent reign descends into paranoia and bloodshed, leading to his eventual downfall. Holy Trinity's production reimagined this classic tale against an industrial backdrop, with metallic pipes, automated doors, and austere thrones adorned with electric plasma balls, creating a brutalist aesthetic that mirrored the characters' fatal industriousness.
Standout Performances
Dominic Gonsalves portrayed Macbeth with compelling hubris and masterful iambic pentameter, delivering soliloquies with stirring eloquence. His portrayal of greed and tyranny was both convincing and captivating. Nicole Casimir Derival embodied Lady Macbeth with fierce intensity, transitioning seamlessly from taunting cruelty to guilt-ridden madness. The three witches—Sophie Mora, Layla Costescu, and Posimi Sotunde—chilled the audience with their eldritch body language and haunting trochaic tetrameter chants, embodying the supernatural forces that drive the plot.
Choreography and Design
The battle scenes, choreographed by Dominic Gonsalves, were executed with hypnotic brutality. Toby O'Connell, as Macduff, conveyed raw grief through realistic combat, culminating in an intense sword-and-shield duel with Macbeth. The set, designed by O'Connell, featured pool-noodle pipes, motorized styrofoam gears, and a ticking clock that foreshadowed Macbeth's doom. The Witches' Trinkets, led by Holden Ross, included sinister props like a bloodied infant doll and a gory decapitated head. Lighting by Chance Kelly used infernal reds, spectral greens, and blues to enhance the mood. Makeup by Sam Helmus's team added gruesome boils and warts, while costumes by Sophie Mora's Tailors of Cawdor blended Victorian and sci-fi elements with detailed embroidery and layered skirts.
Overall, Holy Trinity's Macbeth was a visually stunning and emotionally gripping production that honored Shakespeare's text while offering a fresh, industrial interpretation.
