By Sarah Re
Little Man Theater Company & The Acting Company present Hamlet, by William Shakespeare at Boxcar Studios located in Provo, UT. Do not miss this captivating and unnerving production located in one of Provo’s most exciting and unique event spaces. Hamlet, considered by many to be Shakespeare’s greatest work, follows the Prince of Denmark’s descent into madness and obsession spurred by the untimely death of his father, the King. This production, imagined by the creative Suzanne Christiansen, offers much in terms of the depth and irony of the piece while giving a fast-paced and clear outlay of the greatness of Shakespeare’s story and themes. While the Prince reveals to his closest companions that his “madness” will be a diversion to buy him time to prove the terrifying revelation of his father’s murder, madness bleeds into his obsession, here played with passion by Noah Kershisnik. The ghost of his father returns and demands that Hamlet seek vengeance on his uncle, the new king, who murdered his father and married his mother. A true tragedy, the play explores what happens when we fall prey to the temptation of ambition and revenge, when we fall into despair, and when we start caring more for self-preservation and interests than how our words and actions affect those around us. This production is set during the Roaring Twenties, a time when Spiritualism was incredibly popular and people were fascinated with the occult. I love the choices that were made by the company to layer this into the production in a million subtle details that amplified the concept without distracting from the purity of the original script.
Kershisnik finds all of the bitter ironies and playfulness amongst the melancholy and fierceness of this challenging role. He handles the language with intelligence and clarity, his passion and understanding for the role is poignant and moving. One opportunity for Kershisnik is to slow down a little during his monologues and soliloquies; while it certainly takes skill to soar through Shakespeare like that, the audience will get more of the meaning if he can slow down a little and relish the beauty of the language. Standout Stacy Wilk as Horatio is honest and clear, bringing a sense of profound loyalty as “the witness”. She uses a camera to capture evidence of the verity of Hamlet’s test to see if his Uncle is guilty as the troubled ghost has claimed. While Archelaus Crisanto, Sarah Butler, and Garret Rushforth are not quite the age for the roles, the audience is enticed by the creativity of these few, only nine, characters that switch aptly into multiple characters to watch for the imaginative and deep portrayals. Each one brings exceptional heart and maturity to the role. Crisanto brings a sense of gravitas to Claudius in balancing the inner conflict between ambition and guilt. Butler portrays Gertrude with a range from powerhouse leader in the beginning to deep, heartfelt grief at the end. Rushforth provides comic relief as the long-winded, bumbling Polonius, however, I feel he could be a little faster in his delivery to really nail the comedic timing. Hailey Nebeker and Leah Kershisnik are hilarious as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, bringing a completely different element to the closeness and love between Hamlet and themselves. Everything about these two characters is on point, from costume to delivery to the relationship development. Sam Payne is full of vibrancy and life in every detail of every character, from the focus of cleaning blood out of the carpet, to delivering letters, to the gravedigger, Payne is present in every encounter. The gravedigger scene is among my favorite in the piece, Payne and Suzanne Christensen play off each other’s energy well and the scene is filled with the ironic banter of well-done dark comedy and perfectly timed delivery.
Boxcar Studios provides an ideal performance space for this production, providing several entrances and exits, levels, even an enormous garage door that can be opened and closed for outdoor scenes. The environment is cool, eclectic, and cozy being a part of a larger artist conglomerate complete with an antique store (Turned Treasures), coffee shop, barbershop, and artist studios. The whole ambiance of the space lends itself perfectly to the tenor of the piece and provides a dynamic stage on which the actors truly shine. The sound design heightens the uneasiness of the piece, at times an upbeat piece of music that somehow creates a sense of unease, to unsettling ambient noises, the sound design is one of my favorite aspects of the production. The costumes are period perfect and fit each character perfectly, a must with so many actors doubled up on roles. Leah Kershisnik nails her quick changes between Ophelia and Guildenstern with impressive speed, gracing the stage without losing a beat or any semblance of heavy breathing. The costumes for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are my very favorite, both are absolutely perfect for the characters and are just plain fun.
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“Brevity is the soul of wit,” says Polonius, a sentiment the company clearly values as the runtime for the production comes in right around the two-hour mark, a bit less than half the time a production of Hamlet would normally take. Yet, it does not feel as though half the play has been removed because the cut is so well done. It is perfectly adapted to a modern audience and leaves one wondering what are the things in my own life that I think I have well in hand, that have become self-destructive obsessions? What does it mean to be alive, to love, to yearn for progress, truth, or freedom? The engagement is limited, so do not miss your opportunity to witness this captivating production, full of talented performers, in this amazing and eclectic space.
Thanks for the well-thought-out review. I feel enticed to check out this performance if I can arrange it in our schedule.