By Kathryn Olsen
Cedar City‘s Utah Shakespeare Festival is known for its high-quality productions of the Bard’s works and the production of William Shakespeare‘s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarkat the Randall L. Jones Theatre is a brilliant example of this trend. Authored either in the late 16th or early 17th Century, it is famous to devoted fans of the theater as well as a broader audience. A person who has never seen may still be familiar with “To be or not to be, that is the question.” They may have read Terry Pratchett’s satire Wyrd Sistersor heard it quoted in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, which claims that “You have not experienced Shakespeare until you’ve read it in the original Klingon.” Film and stage adaptations abound, as well as derivative works such as Tom Stoppard‘s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead or Caridad Svich‘s 12 Ophelias. I have seen it several times, but am always intrigued by the individual choices in each production.
The play opens on several troubling events. The recently-widowed Queen Gertrude (Jacqueline Antaramian) has married her late husband’s brother Claudius (Andrew May) quite soon after the King’s (John G. Preston) death. A feud between neighboring countries strongly suggests that Denmark is on the brink of war with Norway. Prince Hamlet (Quinn Mattfield) is struggling with his grief over his recent loss. And on a rampart of the castle, the ghost of the former king has appeared to the guards. When Hamlet is brought to witness this phenomenon, the ghost informs him that his death was not at all accidental. The remainder of the play is spent in the quest for retribution and the toll that Hamlet’s quest takes on himself and those who care for him.
This production takes bold approaches in setting, plot, and characterization and the burden of rendering this appropriate falls on the excellent cast. Polonius (Armin Shimerman) is played with great wit and astute concern by a veteran of stage and screen who is so at home in the character that a minor mishap onstage was taken in stride. Shimerman’s Polonius is a credible confidante of all, but always has the air of his own agenda.
Ophelia (Emma Greer), his daughter, brings unusual intimacy to the role. Her physical interactions with the protagonist are embellished at times and lend more weight to her relationship with him. Greer seamlessly tackles the emotional demands of the role, which is sometimes jarring because of the stark contrasts.
Another player whose staging is altered is the murderous Claudius. In the script, he frequently confesses his sin, but his responses to taunts are subtle. In this, May is brilliantly often on the edge of fury, attacking his stepson when the play-within-a-play mimics his crimes and berating Hamlet for his callousness in a raised voice.
This effect invokes Antaramian’s fascinating dynamic with the principal male characters. She creates some of the most strikingly emotional moments in the production because of the internal conflict that arises from an inability to truly discern unpleasant truth from reassuring lie.
Hamlet is, as ever, an unforgettable character, but Mattfield’s interpretation is unmistakably phenomenal. Hamlet often delivers clever word-plays or moments of irony, but this actor brings out a sardonic side that is much a coping mechanism as it is a recitation of the text. He welcomes jovial and likeable friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Mitch Shira and Kyle Bullock) warmly, but occasionally plays favorites in unexpected ways. One of his most compelling moments occurs when he contemplates revenge while he has an oblivious and praying Claudius at swordpoint and while he harbors ill will for his mother’s hasty marriage, he physically manifests the compassion he still has for her.
Because of the directorial choices, there is more intrigue than exists in the original Shakespeare and Christopher Peltier communicates this in understated, but effective ways as Laertes. Peltier briefly, but impressively, conveys level-headed reason as well as fierce loyalty.
The minor roles are well-cast, from the guards who dramatically open the action to the Players who are hired to ensnare Claudius. There are many passing roles, but the stage direction and the skill of the ensemble allow the simple stage to be appropriate to many tableaux.
Director Brian Vaughn‘s vision of this paradigm-shifting production is intriguing as he reframes this Danish tragedy in the setting of post-Czarist Russia with artistic collaborator Jerry F. Murdock. Costumes by Bill Black are appropriately lavish and vary by rank and relationship, but the stage designed by Scenic Designer Jason Lajka would be at home in St. Petersburg, complete with snow that is a constant presence and sometimes falls on the scene. Sound Designer/Original Music Composer Joe Payne makes audiences thrill to the spectral timbre of the ghost, while Lighting Designer William C. Kirkham and Fight Director Paul Dernhardt are as integral to the tension of the show as the actors themselves.
There is no question that this production is a masterpiece and it is fortunately running until October 12. So bring poor Yorrick if you must, but hurry to the box office to get tickets. There are more things in this show than are dreamt of in your philosophy and you won’t want to miss a single one of them.
Utah Shakespeare Festival Presents Hamlet; by William Shakespeare.
Randall L. Jones Theater, Shakespeare Ln, Cedar City, UT 84720
Jun 28- Oct 12, 2019, 2 and 8 PM
Tickets: $32-77
Contact: 800-752-984
Utah Shakespeare Festival Facebook Page
Hamlet Facebook Event
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