Melancholy, Moody, and Modern “Hamlet” From STLSF Illuminates Forest Park

Hamlet
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Michael Sexton
St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
May 30, 2025

I love how versatile Shakespeare is. I’ve seen so many wildly different productions of the same plays over the years, and many of them have been marvelous. This latest production of Hamlet by St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, directed by Michael Sexton, is the Festival’s second. While their previous version, staged in 2010, was fantastic, this latest version couldn’t be more different but is also superb, and stunningly staged in the outdoor setting of Forest Park’s Shakespeare Glen. While the earlier version was a more “traditional” staging, this one has a stylish, Mid-Century Modern flair and some inventive staging choices that bring an air of challenging immediacy to the timeless classic play. 

As one of the Bard’s best-known plays, the story is fairly well-known, following the melancholy Danish prince Hamlet (Michael Khalid Karadsheh) as he is challenged by the ghost of his late father, the King (Larry Paulsen) to avenge the King’s murder by his brother, Hamlet’s uncle Claudius (Glenn Fitzgerald), who has also married the King’s widow, Hamlet’s mother Gertrude (Jennifer Ikeda). Supported by his friend Horatio (Reginald Pierre), Hamlet embarks on his revenge plan, while also adopting an air of “madness” that puzzles the court and disturbs those around him, including his sometimes love interest Ophelia (Sarah Chalfie) and her father, Claudius’s loyal and somewhat foolish counselor Polonius (Mark Nelson). With efforts involving a troupe of traveling players, Hamlet’s school friends Rosencrantz (Mitchell Henry-Eagles)  and Guildenstern (CB Brown), and Ophelia’s brother, Polonius’s son Laertes (Grayson DeJesus), the plan inevitably devolves into tragedy, with much reflection, hesitation, impulsive actions, and philosophizing along the way.

This is a well-known, much-studied classic for good reason, as there is much to ponder here for various audiences, generations, and cultures. This version adds an air of style and elegance, with a degree of dissonance provided by a haunting jazz-influence score by music director/composer Brandon Wolcott and memorably performed by onstage musician Brady Lewis. The set by Scott C. Neale is visually stunning and moveable, lending to some clever staging especially in the scene where Hamlet confronts his mother Gertrude in her chamber, where the action is largely shown from the point of view of the spying Polonius. The red and black color palate is also striking, augmented by other colors reflected in Oana Botez’s richly detailed costumes and Denisse Chavez’s evocative lighting. There’s also excellent work by choreographer Sam Gaitsch and fight and intimacy coordinator Zev Steinrock, contributing to the overall dynamic tone of the production.

Casting is key in Hamlet, particularly in the title role, and this production has chosen a Hamlet who leads with youth, energy, and emotion. Karadsheh is an ideal lead for this iteration of the story, bringing a dynamic and reflective presence that is both challenging and relatable. Hamlet drives the action here, and all the other characters are energized in their responses to Karadsheh’s bold interpretation. There are also strong turns from Chalfie as the tragic, conflicted Ophelia, Ikeda as a somewhat detached Gertrude, Fitzgerald as an evasive, scheming Claudius, Nelson as the well-meaning but somewhat buffoonish Polonius, Paulsen in several roles including the Ghost and the Gravedigger, and Pierre as the faithful Horatio. Special note is also due to DeJesus, who turned in a strong, fully-realized performance as Laertes after taking over the role from an injured Vaughn Pole at essentially the last minute. There’s also excellent support from the rest of the ensemble, including Brown, Henry-Eagles, Max Fiorello, Daisy Held, Charlie Mathis, and Ryan Omar Stack. 

The “Shakespeare in the Park” productions from STLSF are usually excellent, and this Hamlet is no exception, with an extra air of Mid-Century style and emotional immediacy. This is my favorite Shakespeare play, and the Festival has done it justice once again. There’s plenty of time to get to the Glen and see it before it fades into the mist of memory. 

The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival is presenting Hamlet in Forest Park’s Shakespeare Glen until June 22, 2025