By Cindy and Perry Whitehair
I will admit – Shakespeare is not always the first thing I rush toward when looking for a date night out, especially on Valentine’s weekend. Bringing it into modern times makes it a little easier, but radically changing the title character (from male to female in this case) brings it back into the category of not first choice. I say all this to set up what New World Shakespeare Company overcame in their production of Hamlet playing at the Sorenson Unity Center in Salt Lake City.
Elise Hanson, who is the director and star of the tragedy, has a vision that seems to be to keep things simple and let the story speak for itself. I say seemed, because in lieu of Director’s Notes in the program, there was a lovely quote from Robin Williams – more on that later. I thought that the sparse stage worked for the story and the small space. Perry disagreed and was hoping for a little more from a scenery standpoint to help tell the story. The choices of music for pre-show (Lion King the Movie) and intermission (“Roundabout” by Yes) was fresh and it worked.
For the most part, this was a well-acted show. Hanson’s Hamlet showed a restrained revenge instead of the crazy that the script implies he is. Claudius (played by G. Morgan Walton) and Gertrude (played by Judith Hutchinson) did a good job showing the range of emotion that one expects from an uncle/step-father and mother as they watch the insane desire for revenge take over young Hamlet. The ambassador Polonius (Jon Turner), his son Laedes (Michael Calecino) and his daughter Ophelia (Natalia Noble) were all able to make the stage theirs when they appeared. The ensemble bobbled a couple of lines, but that can be forgiven because it is Shakespeare and it is opening weekend.
Costuming (Elise Hanson) was the aspect of the show that left Perry flat. He would have liked to have seen more differentiation between classes using costumes and props. Lighting (David Bruner) was the thing that bothered me. There were times when the stage was a little too dark – especially during Hamlet’s soliloquy. While their lead actor was bathed in an eerie red light on a black stage, all my eye was drawn to was the light from the hallway because the door was open for actors to enter and leave the space. That light was ultimately too distracting during the pivotal point of the first act.
The pacing of the show was also a little uneven. Because of the sparse stage, most scene transitions were instantaneous – giving the audience no time for applauding what they had just seen. Then, when they did have to move their few set pieces into place the transition seemed to be awkward.
All of that said, we both loved this show. The portrayal of Hamlet as a woman was a huge risk and we both thought it was a risk well taken. Natalia Noble’s Ophelia absolutely stole the second act and watching Ms. Hutchinson silently react in horror to the events as they unfold around her was fantastic. I was really feeling her pain watching her family being taken from her.
All the respective costs will be added t the market retail price of the medicine. online viagra soft The tablets are an effective cure cheapest levitra pills for ED disorder in middle aged men. This will give an erection to about four to five hours. viagra prescription free At present Angelmeds .com viagra price djpaulkom.tv is one the best international Online Drugstore.
Back to the Robin Williams quote. New World Shakespeare Company donates a portion of the proceeds of each show to a charity that they feel relates to the theme of the show. For Hamlet, they chose the Utah Suicide Prevention Center. This was something that really hit home with me because I have had friends deal with the suicide of a loved one in recent years. Losing a loved one is hard and as when it comes from their own hand (as we see in this show) it often seems overwhelming. The show deals with Laedes’ reaction to Ophelia’s suicide as many of us would. The utter brokenness it causes in the survivors comes through poignantly.
It is not often that people enjoy the marriage of message and entertainment – they usually want one or the other. But in the case of Hamlet, message and entertainment come together in a thought provoking, gentle manner that left the audience feeling empathy for the characters. New World Shakespeare Company did a wonderful job portraying a normally dark subject and treating it with great compassion and tenderness. As Hamlet says, “the play’s the thing” and this play was a beautiful dive into deceit, revenge, madness and dysfunction that is really a must see – even if you are not the biggest Shakespearean fan in the world.
New World Shakespeare Company Presents Hamlet
Feb. 12-22, 2015
Sorenson Unity Center Black Box Theater
1383 South 900 West – Salt Lake City UT
Tickets are $10.00 for General Admission
Phone: 801-719-7998
newworldshakespearecompany.com
0 Comments