Imagine Scotland as a wasteland inhabited by samurai, Russians, Spaniards and representatives of several other linguistic groups. When the Russians switch from Russian to English they speak with distinct Slavic accents. When the samurai speak English some of them have such heavy Japanese accents that it is difficult to tell which language they are using.

Welcome to the UH-Manoa production of “;Macbeth.”;

Director Paul T. Mitri writes in his program notes that the show is intended to create “;a forced 'melting pot' of cultures, with characters representing their groups through language.”; And so, Duncan and Banquo are Japanese, Macduff is Russian, and Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are Spanish.

As if that's not a sufficient departure from Shakespeare's story, Duncan's sons, Malcolm and Donalbane, are played by women who dress and fight as samurai but are identified in the playbill as his daughters. Malcolm is referred to at one point as “;that girl, Malcolm”; but is eventually crowned King—not Queen—of Scotland.

Whatever the intent, changing the gender of Duncan's sons is a needless distraction in a show already burdened by the lack of United Nations-style simultaneous translation for the audience.

In short: It's fine to translate Shakespeare's early-17th century English into, say, early-17th century Swahili for a Swahili-speaking audience, but the magic of his work is lost when the audience can't understand what the performers are saying.

Fortunately, several strong performances emerge in the multicultural chaos. K.C. Odell (Macbeth) and Michelle Yung Hurtubise (Lady Macbeth) enunciate clearly and project well. Odell articulates Macbeth's fears, desires and flawed heroism. We feel Lady Macbeth's passion and all-consuming ambition. The two have sufficient chemistry that their occasional use of Spanish doesn't dilute the impact of their work.

  Ryan Wueterwald (Porter) scores as the major comic character. His work was well-executed in and of itself, but adding the word “;shishi”;—Japanese baby talk for “;urine”;—to his monologue on the effects of alcohol earned a raucous response from the audience on Saturday.

Amy Edwards, Sharon Wezelman and Stephanie Kuroda are excellent as the witches no matter what combination of languages they're speaking, and Bradley J. Larson overcomes the challenges involved in playing Macduff as Slavic. His work in the scene where Macduff learns of Macbeth's vengeance on his family touches the heart.

The most impressive work is by the design crew. Chesley Cannon's set is a marvelous multilayered space that provides plenty of room for murder, mayhem and combat while also allowing the witches and Banquo's ghost to emerge almost anywhere.

David A. Griffith (lighting/projection), Sean Sanford (sound) and Andrew Varel (projection) share credit for the rich assortment of special effects that enhance the actors' work. And, giving credit where it's due, Mitri's choreography of the battle scenes heightens their brutality and violence.