Posts Tagged ‘hamlet’

Royal Intrigue Abounds in Chorus of Fools’ Impressively Revised “Elsinore”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Elsinore
by David Nonemaker and Eric Satterfield
Directed by Eric Satterfield
Chorus of Fools
October 9, 2025

Zach Pierson, Andrew Eslamian, Xander Huber
Photo by David Nonemaker
Chorus of Fools

Creating theatre is a fascinating process, and I feel blessed to have been able to witness the development of new plays over the years, including the latest production from Chorus of Fools. Elsinore, by David Nonemaker and Eric Satterfield, first premiered in a production by Prison Performing Arts Alumni Theatre Company in 2021, and I saw and reviewed that production, noting its promise and the work I thought still needed to be done. The new production, with some of the same creative team and one of the same actors, is still recognizable, but has been impressively revised and refined from that earlier iteration, emphasizing the strengths of the story and character and resulting in a more dramatically satisfying and emotionally affecting prequel to William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, Hamlet. 

The story is told in three acts, as opposed to two acts in the previous version. Many of the characters from Hamlet are featured, along with some notable new additions, although the familiar characters start out quite differently from what you may expect. In Act 1, it’s 15 years before the events of Shakespeare’s tragedy, and the elder King Hamlet (John Wolbers) is an imperious, somewhat possessive and nervous ruler, trying to rule Denmark with an iron hand, and is dealing with disappointment in his teenage son Hamlet (Andre Eslamian), whom the elder king regards as “soft” and who is mostly interested in getting up to mischief with his buddies Rosencrantz (Xander Huber) and Guildenstern (Zach Pierson). Young Hamlet often feels closer to his uncle, Claudius (Joseph Garner), and flees to his house to avoid his father’s wrath. Claudius is an advisor to the King and is happily married to Collette (Lexie Johnson), who is expecting the couple’s third child after having lost the first two.  As the king grows more jealous of his son’s bond with Claudius and deals with tension in his marriage to Gertrude (Jocelyn Padilla), Claudius comes up with an idea for how to help young Hamlet, which ultimately begins their gradual estrangement. Meanwhile, the king’s bumbling counselor Polonius (Chuck Brinkley) brings his studious daughter Ophelia (Hannah Geisz) to serve in Gertrude’s court after having returned from an unpleasant time in France. Of course, Ophelia and Hamlet develop a friendship that promises to grow into something more. 

That’s just the first act. The next act jumps ahead fourteen years, and we see how the characters and relationships have grown and changed. We also see the seeds of Claudius’s resentment and ambition, and dramatic events that lead to who he becomes in Hamlet. Clever scripting and intriguing character development make for a story that blends sympathy, humor, and tragedy into a credible “before it happened” tale that makes sense as a prequel for one of the world’s best-known plays. Although this backstory isn’t quite how I would have imagined it, the playwrights have done the work to make it make sense, including allusions and parallels to the “parent play” in ways that seem natural and even poetic. The language is also believably Shakespearean, for the most part, and the characters well-developed. As before, I especially love the interactions between Hamlet and Ophelia, but I find Claudius more intriguing this time as well, and the King is a more well-rounded character, and the developments in Claudius’s family life are more thoroughly explained here. 

The cast is excellent, with Garner a thoroughly convincing Claudius, who goes on a journey from sensitive younger brother/uncle and doting husband and father to ambitious wannabe monarch. Garner brings a degree of nuance to the role as well as a clear progression from sympathetic to scheming and beyond. Eslamian as Hamlet is also strong, portraying a believable sense of growth in the character and fantastic chemistry with Geisz, who is a supremely likable and intelligent Ophelia. There are also strong performances from Padilla as the increasingly conflicted Gertrude, Huber and Pierson as the mischievous Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and Johnson as Claudius’s gentle wife Collette. Pierson also has a strong turn as Young Claudius, son of Hamlet’s uncle, and Brinkley is a scene-stealer as the bumbling but subtly scheming Polonius. Rose Reiker as Osric and Joe Kercher in several roles round out the cast, with all contributing energy and presence to this intriguing, emotionally involving story. I do somewhat wonder at the play’s somewhat smarmy characterization of Laertes (Kercher), since it doesn’t seem fitting with how the character turns out in Hamlet, but that’s a playwriting/directing issue rather than an acting issue.

The look and atmosphere of the show is notably consistent, with a setting that seems like mid-to-late 19th century in terms of costumes and sets. Celeste Gardner’s costumes are particularly outstanding, with excellent attention to detail and period, and suiting the characters well. The set by Vicki Delmas and Satterfield is also excellent, with a prominent red-and-grey color scheme and a suitably “royal” tone. There’s also good work from lighting designer Bradley Rohlf and sound designer Satterfield, and clever use of memorable music during the intermissions that goes along well with the themes of the play.

Overall, while I enjoyed Elsinore the first time I saw it, the play seems like a much more well-realized vision at this point. Featuring familiar characters and themes, and using them in intriguing and occasionally gripping ways, this is a thoroughly credible story that makes sense as a lead-up to Hamlet. It also fits well into the space at Greenfinch Theater & Dive, and includes a few “spooky” elements in keeping with Halloween season. It’s well worth seeing, and an impressive accomplishment from Chorus of Fools. 

Joseph Garner, Jocelyn Padilla
Photo by David Nonemaker
Chorus of Fools

Chorus of Fools is presenting Elsinore at Greenfinch Theater & Dive until October 19, 2025

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

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on June 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »

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

Michael Khalid Karadsheh, Jennifer Ikeda, Glenn Fitzgerald and Cast
Photo by Phillip Hamer
St. Louis Shakespeare Festival

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. 

Reginald Pierre, Larry Paulsen, Michael Khalid Karadsheh
Photo by Phillip Hamer
St. Louis Shakespeare Festival

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

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St. Louis Shakespeare Brings Impeccably Staged “Hamlet” Down to Earth

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on April 17, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Hamlet
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Patrick Siler
St. Louis Shakespeare
April 11, 2024

Hamlet is unquestioningly one of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays. It’s also frequently studied in high school and college (both for me). It’s also known for being particularly philosophical, with many celebrated reflections on life, death, family, theatre, and more. There have been many approaches to staging it over the years–or centuries, in fact, and I’ve seen quite a few productions in my lifetime. This latest version, from St. Louis Shakespeare, takes a direct, down-to-earth approach that brings the characters’ humanity and relatability to the forefront, while still doing justice to it’s more philosophical moments.

Famously, Hamlet is the story of the young prince of Denmark (Dustin Petrillo) who is mourning the death of his father, the former king, and resents the recent marriage of his mother Gertrude (Donna Parrone) to his father’s brother and newly crowned king, Claudius (Colin Nichols). When the Ghost of his father (Don McClendon) appears at the castle walls, Hamlet confronts the spirit and is informed that Claudius is a murderer, having killed the old king in order to get his crown, and apparently his queen as well. Hamlet’s quest for revenge affects his relationships and the lives–and sometimes deaths–of those he cares about most, including friends like bestie Horatio (Creighton Markovitch), would-be love interest Ophelia (Hannah Duncan), Ophelia’s brother Laertes (Bradley M. Dillon), father Polonius (Chuck Brinkley) and more. 

The whole kingdom is affected by the goings-on in this famous tragedy, but this production, directed by Patrick Siler, focuses most on the personal stakes of the characters, even editing the ending to reflect this focus, and portraying the characters and relationships in a direct, immediate way. The relationships are at the forefront here, and the performances are powerful and credible, led by Petrillo in a dynamic and reflective performance as one of the most melancholy of Melancholy Danes I’ve seen, with a fully believable degree of emotional investment. His moments with the also strong Duncan as a guarded but clearly conflicted Ophelia and Markovitch as devoted friend Horatio are especially effective, as is the famous “closet scene” with Parrone’s convincingly concerned Gertrude. Nichols makes for a memorable Claudius, as well, not showing the character’s clear ambitions without overplaying it, and in a similar vein, Brinkley’s portrayal of the somewhat foolish Polonius is firmly rooted in reality and not over-the-top as some versions of this character can be. The humor is there, but so is a degree of sympathy that makes the character even more convincing. McClendon is another standout in a dual role as the Ghost of Hamlet’s father and as the First Gravedigger. It’s a strong ensemble all around, with a strong supporting cast and cohesive chemistry, bringing a directness to the proceedings that strikes me as especially accessible to new audiences as well as those already familiar with the play.

This production fits well into its venue–the smallish theatre at Lift For Life Academy–with an effective minimalist set by Kaylie Carpenter and dynamic lighting by Tony Anselmo that highlights the action, mood, and characters well. The sound and musical accompaniment by David A. N. Jackson is especially well done, with Jackson even interacting with the characters onstage in key moments. The costumes by Michele Friedman Siler are contemporary and stylish, suiting the characters appropriately and adding to the modern flair of this staging.

This is an especially powerful Hamlet, and all the more memorable for its credible performances and in-the-moment, well-paced staging. The only regret I have is that it didn’t run longer. It’s a commendable effort from St. Louis Shakespeare, and a clear reminder of the greatness of this play that it can be adapted so well with such timeless relevance. 

 

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The Rep Brings a Dynamic “Hamlet” to the Stage

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on October 19, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Hamlet
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Paul Mason Barnes
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
October 13, 2017

Ross Cowan, Jim Poulos, Stephen Hu
Photo by Peter Wochniak

Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Hamlet is arguably Shakespeare’s best-known play. It’s certainly oft-studied and oft-performed. Still, in its 51 years of existence in St. Louis, the Rep had never actually staged it, until now. And now, the Hamlet they’re staging is not exactly what you may expect. Produced by much of the team behind the Rep’s excellent A Midsummer Night’s Dream from a few years ago, this Hamlet is fresh, immediate, and characterized by a dynamic, highly physical performance from its leading actor.

Story-wise, this is Hamlet. It’s Shakespeare’s tale of the titular Danish prince (Jim Poulos), who is visited by the ghost of his late father, the previous King of Denmark, and urged to avenge his father’s death at the hands of his uncle, Claudius (Michael James Reed), who has not only taken over as king but has also married the queen, Hamlet’s mother Gertrude (Robynn Rodriguez). As Hamlet undertakes his effort at revenge, he confides his plans to his friend Horatio (Christopher Gerson), but his actions start to perplex those around him, including the members of the king’s court, Hamlet’s sometime love interest Ophelia (Kim Wong), her father Polonius (Larry Paulsen), Gertrude, and the increasingly suspicious Claudius, who enlists the help of Hamlet’s old friends Rosencrantz (Ross Cowan) and Guildenstern (Stephen Hu) and eventually Opehelia’s brother Laertes (Carl Howell) in foiling Hamlet’s plans. The results of all this plotting, planning, and revenge-seeking is famously tragic, with consequences affecting essentially everyone to one degree or another.

That’s the basic plot description, but this play–as with all of Shakespeare’s plays–can be staged in many different ways. The approach taken by director Paul Mason Barnes for this production is decidedly fast-paced and physical, particularly in the casting of Hamlet himself. Having previously played Puck so memorably in the Rep’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Poulos brings us a particularly puckish portrayal of the Melancholy Dane. His Hamlet is thoughtful, but he’s also confrontational, witty, and full of dynamic energy, challenging baffling Claudius and crew with his actions and body language as much as, if not more than, his words. It’s a brilliantly visceral performance. There are also impressive turns by Gerson as the sympathetic Horatio, Reed as the scheming, guilt-addled Claudius, Wong as the caring, manipulated, and increasingly unstable Ophelia, Paulsen as her busybody father Polonius, and Howell as a particularly earnest Laertes. Rodriguez as Gertrude is a standout as well, making her confusion and growing concern for Hamlet palpable and her famous “closet scene” devastatingly effective. Jonathan Gillard Daly and Tarah Flanagan are also excellent in dual roles as the Player King and Queen and as the gravediggers. It’s a strong cast all around, with excellent ensemble chemistry and excellent support from the entire ensemble.

Visually, this production is notable for its stark, imposing minimalist set designed by Michael Ganio. Consisting of some scaffolding, an ominous leaning wall, and a series of plain square pedestals all arranged around a large looming column, the set serves well in facilitating the often urgent staging of this play. The fantastic lighting by Lonnie Rafael Alcarez, the sumptuously detailed 19th Century-influenced costumes by Dorothy Marshall Englis, and the superb sound design and atmospheric original music by Barry G. Funderberg all contribute to the overall immediate, intense atmosphere.

It could be easy to ask why it’s taken so long for the Rep to produce Hamlet, but it’s also easy to say now that I can’t imagine how they could have done it better. Particularly in its casting and fast-paced staging, this is a Hamlet that is confrontational and majoring on emotion, with a truly remarkable title performance at its heart. It’s a theatrical triumph for the Rep.

Cast of Hamlet
Photo by Peter Wochniak
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is presenting Hamlet until November 5, 2017

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This “Hamlet” Packs Heat

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on July 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Hamlet
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Donna Northcott
St. Louis Shakespeare
July 12, 2014

Maggie Wininger Photo by Kim Carlson St. Louis Shakespeare

Maggie Wininger
Photo by Kim Carlson
St. Louis Shakespeare

This isn’t your great-great-great-grandfather’s Hamlet. In St. Louis Shakespeare’s new production of the oft-produced classic play, Hamlet is played by a woman (although the character is still portrayed as male), the castle guards brandish automatic rifles and Hamlet himself carries a handgun and a large hunting knife, the usurping King Claudius and his court are dressed to the nines in dapper suits and chic gowns, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern take selfies with their smartphones in the palace. All of these ideas could easily come across as cheap gimmicks, but in director Donna Northcott’s bold new staging, all of these elements work together along with a palpable sense of tension and urgency to create a fresh, exciting and thoroughly fascinating production that never bores and frequently captivates.

The story is familiar to anyone who studied the play in English class or saw one (or more) of the many filmed versions of the story, or saw one of the many, many staged productions that have been produced for generations.  Just as it says in the title, it’s about Hamlet (Maggie Wininger), the Prince of Denmark whose father, the King, has recently died and been succeeded by Hamlet’s uncle Claudius (Ethan H. Jones), who has also rather quickly married the King’s widow, Hamlet’s mother Gertrude (Kelly Schnider).  When Hamlet is visited by the ghost of his late father (Tom Moore), he is informed that Claudius is not only an opportunist but a murderer, and Hamlet is encouraged to take revenge. Much of the drama that ensues revolves around Hamlet’s wrestling with what to do about this charge.

This version of the play is set on a very simple stage, but with all the right trappings to suggest an elegant royal court. It’s all efficiently designed by Pippin McGowan and sumptuously costumed by Michele Friedman Siler.  The men wear the finest, most stylish suits and the women are in fashionable gowns and jewelry.  Gertrude is appropriately regal, and Ophelia (Taylor Steward) wears flowing, patterned dresses. The younger, flashier Rosencrantz (Paul Edwards) and Guildenstern (Shane Bosillo) are given more obviously trendy outfits, and Hamlet spends a fair amount of time dressing down in ripped pants and a wrinkled hoodie. The palace guards are imposing in camouflage, and the court attendants wear military-like livery. It’s all very well thought-out and consistent with the updating of the production. Also, while the guards, Hamlet and Laertes do carry guns at key moments in the show, the iconic sword duel at the end is still there, using modern fencing equipment and excellently choreographed by Erik Kuhn. With the excellent, dynamic staging of the piece, none of the updates seem out of place and all work to serve the story, actually adding to the accessibility and overall drama of the play.

The cast, like the overall production, is uniformly excellent. Wininger, with her short-ish, curly mop of a hairstyle and brooding energy, is a particularly intense and youthful Hamlet.  While she never completely manages to make me forget the fact that she’s a woman playing a man, Wininger’s wonderful and richly nuanced performance makes that distinction work in her favor.  Her Hamlet is among the more collected portrayals I’ve seen, clearly showing the character’s self-examination and struggles with indecision and doubt.  This Hamlet also shows obvious affection for the visiting Players, with the scene of their arrival and Hamlet’s interactions with them being among the most memorable and effective moments in this production.  She also notably shines in her scenes with Schnider’s Gertrude and with Edwards and Bosillo as the ever-present Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, whose memorable and somewhat flighty characterizations are another notable aspect of this production. Schnider is excellent as Gertrude, as well, eschewing the somewhat silly, distracted characterization I’ve seen so many times for a more elegant portrayal. Whatever her own personal flaws may be, this Gertrude clearly loves her son and is concerned about his well-being.  Jones, who also played Claudius in Equally Represented Arts’  excellent re-imagining–called Make Hamlet–earlier this year, here portrays the King in a self-doubting, considered characterization that gives weight to his famous “attempted prayer” scene.  Michael Amoroso is another stand-out as an earnest, single-minded Laertes.  There are so many excellent performances here that it’s difficult to name them all without naming the whole cast.  There’s Steward’s waifish, bewildered Ophelia, Richard Lewis’s gently officious Polonius, Ben Watts’ fastidious and attentive Osric, and more. It’s a great cast in a very strong interpretation of the show that brings the audience into the action just as it brings the characters to the audience by the very skillful updating of the setting.

One of the reasons I love Shakespeare so much is that his plays are so adaptable.  While some interpretations have come across as more stunt than substance, there’s so much capacity for updating that clarifies the story rather than confusing it, especially in the hands of a good director with a consistent vision.  This production is a prime example of the good kind of updating.  It’s style and substance, elegance and drama, emotion and action, and ultimately, it’s a thoroughly convincing production. This is a Hamlet with heat, energy and immediacy, as well as some well-placed humor at the right moments. It’s one of the better examples of a “modern dress” staging of Shakespeare that I’ve seen. It’s a strong opening to St. Louis Shakespeare’s 30th Anniversary season, and it makes me look forward even more to seeing what else this company has in store.

Cast of Hamlet Photo by Kim Carlson St. Louis Shakespeare

Cast of Hamlet
Photo by Kim Carlson
St. Louis Shakespeare

 

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Something’s Different in Denmark

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on April 25, 2014| 1 Comment »

Make Hamlet
a version of Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Adapted and Directed by Lucy Cashion
Equally Represented Arts
April 23, 2014

Mitch Eagles, Ethan H. Jones, Julia Crump, Nick Henderson, Jennifer Theby-Quinn, WIll Bonfiglio Photo by Katrin Hackenberg Equally Represented Arts

Mitch Eagles, Ethan H. Jones, Julia Crump, Nick Henderson, Jennifer Theby-Quinn, WIll Bonfiglio
Photo by Katrin Hackenberg
Equally Represented Arts

 

When I say Hamlet, I would imagine most people would know what I’m talking about. It’s one of Shakespeare’s best-known plays, and it has been subject to volumes of literary and theatrical criticism and enjoyed numerous productions over the past few hundred years. There have been so many conflicting interpretations, although most of the ones I’ve seen are still basically the same story with a few differing style and/or characterization elements.  With this new production, called Make Hamlet and produced at The Chapel arts venue by Equally Represented Arts, director/adapter Lucy Cashion and her cast are presenting a take on the classic show like I’ve never seen it before. In this audacious re-imagining of the material, the ERA company challenges the audience to re-examine what we think about this much-performed and studied work, as well as reflect on the art and craft that goes into making and presenting a play.

This is a somewhat condensed, re-arranged, visually striking production that uses all of its technical resources to the fullest, and takes the cast members everywhere throughout the performance space, from the stage to the back of the performance space, to the audience and even perched on the pews that line one side of the venue. The space is adorned with various implements of gardening and sewing (a watering can, a window basket of flowers, a sewing machine, sewing patterns, etc.), suggesting a motif of creation and growing, and we see this process as the “backstage” is onstage, and characters change costumes and adjust the set in full view of the audience.  The six member ensemble presents their characters with distinctive interpretations, as well–confrontational, larger-than-life Hamlet (Nick Henderson), earnest and determined Horatio (Mitch Eagles), fast-talking and detached Claudius (Ethan H. Jones), aloof socialite Gertrude (Julia Crump), moody and conflicted Ophelia (Jennifer Theby-Quinn), and relatively mild-mannered Laertes (Will Bonfiglio).  The other characters in the action are mostly referred to but not seen, with two notable exceptions–the Ghost of Hamlet’s father, which is rendered by a actors manipulating an intensely-backlit dressmaker’s dummy; and Polonius, who is “played” in most scenes by a colorful clown costume on a hanger, except in the memorable and somewhat disturbing take on the scene in which Polonius offers Laertes advice before Laertes returns to school and then warns Ophelia concerning Hamlet’s romantic attentions. I say “disturbing” because it’s not entirely clear if Henderson is supposed to simply be Polonius in these scenes, or if he is portraying Hamlet-as-Polonius. The reactions of Bonfoglio and Theby-Quinn certainly suggest that something isn’t exactly right.  And then there are the scenes where famous speeches are delivered several times by different characters, or when the characters break into song, such as Gertrude absently singing The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” and Ophelia’s darkly jarring rendition of “My Heart Belongs to Daddy” at a key moment.

This is a take on Hamlet that recasts the story as more of a dark farce than a straightforward tragedy, and it works surprisingly well, with the staging and characterizations in keeping with that style, and it’s also all very 2014. Claudius’s “crown” is golf club. Hamlet wields a large, shiny pair of sewing scissors as a sword in one scene, and he and Laertes duel with garden clippers in another. Hamlet and Ophelia share a ballet-inspired dance as Ophelia chats with her father on a cell phone. Bright LED flashlights, sounds of sewing machines, rain, and ominous music help set the scene and the mood, and in a particularly intriguing conceit, character deaths are portrayed by having them remove their costumes, leaving their “shed skin” behind.  Hamlet and Horatio play out something of a volatile “bromance”,with the rich-voiced Henderson portraying a Hamlet who is alternately sympathetic and downright menacing, and Eagles–who physically reminds me of Harry Potter–in an endearing performance as a noble, hipsterish Horatio. Theby-Quinn, in an excellent turn as a particularly intense Ophelia, swings wildly from coquettish to annoyed to fiercely unhinged, pelting the other characters with spools of thread that represent herbs in the most violent rendition I’ve seen of her well-known “madness” scene. These three are the real stand-outs in this cast as far as I’m concerned, and I was especially surprised at how much emphasis this production focuses on Horatio specifically.  All six players put in good work, however, and the ensemble scenes are well-staged and convincingly played, concluding in a truly riveting finale.

I feel so much at a loss to adequately describe everything that goes on with this production. I could overuse adjectives like “bold”, “daring”, “dark”, “witty”, “audacious”, etc. This production certainly is all those things, and it takes the Hamlet story and the characters in directions that I’d never thought of before. I’m sure it will be the catalyst for some excellent conversations about this play, its characters, and what it all means.  As wonderful as the cast is, much of the credit for the success of this production goes to Cashion, who not only adapted and directed it, but also designed the set and the wonderful sound effects.  It’s such a fully realized, consistent vision, played out expertly by this great cast and crew.

 There’s a lot of Shakespeare happening in St. Louis this week, with the celebration of the Bard’s 450th birthday and Shake 38 taking the Bard’s works to various neighborhoods and venues throughout the area.  Even the midst of all those works, however, this one is a must-see. As a truly challenging, entertaining and engaging new presentation of an oft-performed show, ERA’s Make Hamlet is a winner.  It’s a Hamlet for the 21st century, and it’s not to be missed.

Will Bonfligio, Nick Henderson Photo by Katrin Hackenberg Equally Represented Arts

Will Bonfligio, Nick Henderson
Photo by Katrin Hackenberg
Equally Represented Arts

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