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Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Peer Reviews Hamlet
Not long ago, in a previous review, I pondered the resiliency of Shakespeare in light of the almost constant desire to reinterpret his work. Only a few weeks later, The Louisville Repertory Company has illustrated the point once again with a modern-dress Hamlet that features a female in the title role. Neither aspect is unprecedented, with the gender-switch casting dating as far back as Sarah Bernhardt, but it is still rare in modern productions. Hamlet, with its complex psychology and angst-ridden hero, is perhaps the most contemporary of Shakespeare's plots anyway, so business suits and blue jeans aren't so jarring, and this cutting of the text downplays the scenes that demand a historical context. As for the casting of a woman, why not? As long as the performance holds the center with wit and intelligence, and Kara Reeder's work here does exactly that, then all is well. The challenge to the actress is great, as the change invites even closer scrutiny for a character that is already one of the most compelling figures in western theatre. Ms. Reeder carries the audience through the evening with style and feeling and proved a riveting presence. Todd Zeigler also did particularly fine work as the male reversal of Hamlet's love, now called Ophelius. Bryce Woodward was an effective Horatio, Jim Jeffries an authoritative Ghost (Hamlet's father) and James Butterfield delivered a wry humor to his Polonius. Carl Freeman also brought presence and gravity to Claudius, despite problems with enunciating some of the dialogue. The remaining cast was uneven but never less than serviceable. Several of them struggled to consistently bring clarity to the text either by rushing their dialogue or by failing to sustain their delivery as their words drifted away from them. But in his one scene as the Gravedigger, Dan Hardesty nearly steals the show in a very funny turn. It may have been a little over the top, but coming so late in the evening, it gave the proceedings a jolt of energy. The pacing was good, clocking in around 2 hours and 30 minutes, which is actually a pretty brief Hamlet, considering the original text is one of the longest of Shakespeare's plays, and after the intermission, the final scenes moved almost too swiftly, for suddenly we had arrived at the duel between Hamlet and Laertes, Ophelius's grieving brother. Director Amy Lewis wisely stages the combat as a martial arts contest, which helps vitiate the seemingly uneven match between Brian West's muscular, athletic Laertes and Ms. Reeder's fit but smaller Hamlet. Throughout the play the blocking used the black-box space of the MeX theatre effectively, allowing a range of physical action both expansive and fiercely intimate. It may not probe as deeply as the text allows, but overall this was a smart and well-conceived mounting of a play that continues to fascinate as much today as it almost certainly did 400 years ago.
Hamlet Posted Nov. 7, 2008
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