Hamlet
My thoughts on Hamlet at The Classics Theatre Project or…. what a piece of work is this
This Hamlet directed by Joey Folsom is stripped down, barefoot, and mostly bare bones. However, it is large on talent and creativity and kept me engrossed for three plus hours on opening night.
The set, also by Folsom, is two intersecting walls, basically half a room. Chairs and other objects establish the locations of the scenes. There’s excellent lighting by Louis Shopen and sound design by John Cameron Potts. The costumes, Folsom again, are mostly modern dress and there’s lots of black and white. Some are playful (I couldn’t decide if Guildenstern was coming from cheerleading or a tennis match) and others are cool (Ghostly King Hamlet’s all white suit made an otherworldly fashion statement).
Folsom has many clever ideas here. Claudius and Gertrude party down to Warren Zevon to celebrate their marriage while balloons fly everywhere. Spectral visitors make deep impressions in the wall horror movie style. Hamlet has “the hots” for Guildenstern and the Gravedigger croons Sinatra style.
But when it comes to the words of the Bard, there is very little playing or embellishment. The acting is strong across the board, and Shakespeare’s language seems second nature to the cast. They make all those familiar lines sound fresh and current. Noah Riddle leads the cast as the gloomy prince. Riddle is an appropriately youthful Hamlet and gives the character a boyish, scruffy appeal. His delivery of Hamlet’s soliloquies is earnest and touchingly convincing, making Hamlet’s plight palpable.
Stephen Miller and Cheryl Lowber are so impressive as the conniving Claudius and the speedy mourning Gertrude, I want to see them paired again as the Macbeths. As the manipulative spouter of pithy sayings, John Pszyk is a humorous, verbose Polonius. As his daughter and Hamlet’s love interest Ophelia, Jordyn Pierson captures Ophelia’s fragility and has a terrific mad scene. John Cameron Potts is imposing as the revengeful Laertes and his swordplay with Hamlet is thrilling. Trevor Powell is a soft spoken, preppy Horatio whose loyalty to and love for Hamlet seem to indicate a desire for more than friendship. Alexander Delacruz-Nunez and Kathryn Forbes as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are almost a comedy team here as Guildenstern is an object of attention and lust and no one wants to listen to anything Rosencrantz has to say. Michael Miller is great fun as the hammy Player King.
One of the major highlights of the evening is Anthony Magee in the dual role of the ghost of King Hamlet and the Gravedigger. Magee is nothing short of sensational providing chills as the earthbound Ghost (who makes an unexpected appearance that is a bit of directorial genius) and garnering laughs as the rustic Gravedigger with a fondness for Old Blue Eyes. If I were giving out supporting actor awards, Magee would get mine for 2024.
The remainder of the cast, Devin Johnson as Reynaldo, Dakoda Taylor as Marcellus, and Lauren Baker as Voltemand/Player Queen, all do superior work.
The aspect of Hamlet I truly admired was that Director Folsom and the cast were able to create real excitement staging this centuries old play that is so familiar to most of us. What could have become tedious, became absorbing. Things may be “rotten in Denmark” but things are pretty damn good in Addison, Texas.
