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Regional Reviews: Connecticut and the Berkshires Regional Reviews by Fred Sokol Hamlet Also see Fred's reviews of Holiday Inn, Our Town, Private Eyes and Annapurna
Hamlet grieves his dead father. His mother, Queen Gertrude (Kate Forbes), has now married Hamlet's Uncle, King Claudius (Andrew Long). Hamlet, who is Prince of Denmark, will avenge his father's death. Zach Appelman's Hamlet is, when he first appears, thoughtful, bright, declarative—and immensely troubled by what he thinks is a guilty conspiracy. He does not trust Polonius (Edward James Hyland), who is a minister of the king. Hamlet's girlfriend has been Ophelia (Brittany Vicars), Polonius' daughter. Hamlet pretends to be mad in an effort to make some discoveries. King Claudius demonstrates, at a play within the overall play presented at the court, that he is guilty. Hamlet cannot slay his uncle at this point. He mistakenly kills Polonius, who was hidden. All of this causes Ophelia to lose her grip on reality and she ultimately drowns. Laertes (Anthony Roach) is Ophelia's brother and he finally fences with Hamlet and stabs him. Gertrude drinks poison which was intended for Hamlet. Hamlet is surely a tragic hero and Shakespeare has written a revenge play for him. Tresnjak wants this Hamlet to demonstrate depth within his turmoil. Is his mother complicit in the death of his father? What about Ophelia, and did she know? Appelman unveils his character as one who is initially solid and quite coherent. Then he must become emotive, furious, beset with and by a situation he cannot handle. He is moody and depressed but also introspective; at the same time, he feels compelled to do something. In all, Appelman's is a pervasive acting performance, one which requires him to move from his mind through his body as he traverses everything personal. Within Edward James Hyland's grasp, Polonius is a comic philosopher, one who cares about his daughter and probably even more about his son. Some directors interpret Polonius as one who is filled with so much hot air. At Hartford Stage, he is wise if still somewhat meandering. Hyland is funny but not foolish, and this character, Polonius, commands attention. Many theatergoers surely feel empathy for Ophelia. Everyone leaves her (for one reason or another) and this includes Hamlet, Laertes, and Polonius. Hamlet, her former romantic partner, tells her to get to a nunnery and, what's more, "go." Brittany Vicars, garnering audience attention every moment she is on stage even as her character is so alone, brings a piercing edge to her performance. As the plot develops, she comes to understand what those close to her "may be." Her boyfriend deserts her and her father is killed; it is not shocking that she relinquishes her sanity. Moreover, as everything snaps asunder for her, she must sing—and this young woman has vocal pipes that fill this large house with startling effect. Almost all is black as the performance begins. The director has constructed a large walkable area on the stage in the form of a cross. Tiles which are, at the opening, black and white and, according to one's viewpoint, either diamond or square in shape, fill out the cross. Close to the final curtain, lighting designer Matthew Richards, who is pivotal as he illuminates, shifts to hues of many colors. In addition, a huge chandelier often looms directly above the players. It is easy to perceive that structure as a crown. On a certain level, Hamlet is about ascension to the throne. Even more profoundly, this tragedy of character focuses upon a man, coming of age, who cannot trust and is unable to intuit. Thus, his decision making process is flawed. Tresnjak encourages the high drama, the psychological probing and complex dialogue which seems, at times, as if Hamlet himself writes and speaks it in order to evolve. The director dresses the actors in Elizabethan mode and Fabio Toblini's wardrobe is eye-catching. The quality of diction and speech (especially Hamlet's) approximates our twenty-first century. Hamlet, sometimes enigmatic, is a tragedy about human nature. People's serious deficiencies and more minor foibles may be examined in various ways. Darko Tresnjak's Hamlet is, in every aspect, profound. Hamlet continues at Hartford Stage through November 16th, 2014. For tickets, call (860) 527-5151 or visit www.hartfordstage.org.
- Fred Sokol |
