Silent Shakespeare? At first instinct, it almost seems a misguided endeavor. After all, for what is the Bard more beloved than his words, words, words? Shakespearean plots can often play out as hokey and contrived, when stripped of the beautiful language accompanying them.

Not so in Synetic Theater's Macbeth an impressive accomplishment of dance, movement and expression (the group previously gave the same treatment to Hamlet, which it will reprise later this year). Even going into the production, it's hard not to trust that the talented folks over at Synetic will be up to the task. The company is not without its typical tricks, and those are in abundance here - leather apparel; long chains stretching across the stage; frenetic, gyrating choreography. But all these things lend themselves to a signature style more than anything else, and are used to significant visceral impact here.

Synetic is so adept at transforming ideas and emotions into something kinetic that the intricacies of Macbeth's plot are communicated with ease. For those who forget, the titular character (Irakli Kavsadze) is tempted by a vision of himself claiming the throne, and his manipulative wife (Irina Tsikurishvili) convinces him to go to desperate measures to get there, with each of them going to more and more depraved lengths to remain in power.

Kavsadze plays Macbeth effectively as sort of a bumbling hulk of a king, driven largely by impulses, and Tsikurishvili is a vision in Synetic's dramatic, flowing costumes - the choreography she enacts is some of the play's most expressive and emotive. At the play's center is a trio of sultry witches (Meghan Grady, Katherine E. Hill, Philip Fletcher), tempting us with the pleasures of evil, through serpentine choreography they execute with glee.

The play has its share of standout scenes - a Gaiman-esque masked scene where Banquo's ghost shows up is particularly artistic, as are various dream-like sequences where Macbeth receives visions of what is to come in the future. The murder of Macduff's family is acted out with a kind of horrific grace - we're appalled, but yet transfixed.

A couple of Synetic's staging decisions don't quite work - Synetic's futuristic use of flashlight "guns" in a few scenes packs a punch, but feels anachronistic with the rest of the production. A literal demonstration of how Macduff is not truly "born of woman" perhaps could have been glossed over when stripping the plot down to its essence. And when Macbeth and his wife (as well as the witches in other scenes) gluttonously fawn over a giant globe when thoughts of world domination arise, it feels a bit too on-the-nose. But these are afterthoughts about a show that wonderfully communicates a tragic tale of greed and power - Synetic may yet convice us that words are indeed overrated.

Macbeth runs through Feb. 25 at the Rosslyn Spectrum. Tickets are available online.