Hamlet

Last night Jeff and I went to go see Hamlet in Pitt-Bradford's new Bromeley Family Theater (By the same people who brought us the clock tower)

I had never seen Hamlet before, and I quite enjoyed it, after my ears tuned in to hearing the Shakespeare. It's funny how the meter being different from everyday speech makes it sound like a foreign language for the first scene and a half, even though it's all in English. Then my ears adjust, my brain kicks on, and it's smooth sailing from there.

Eric Brown (who's probably a little crazy anyway) did a very good job as Hamlet, and I also enjoyed the performance of Ophelia. I don't think Megan McCleary (who played Cassandra in Women of Troy) could have played that scene in the white dress with the slashed wrists any better. (equally well of course, but not better) Savannah and the guy known only to me as Superfly, were also very good as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and the gravediggers. We were sitting all the way up in the balcony and I had no problem hearing them at all. The play was set in the modern day, and I liked the replacement of the play within the play with a digital video "written and directed by Hamlet". The costuming was gorgeous, I especially like Queen Gertrude's gown in the last scene. It was rasberry colored, with bright sparkles clustered around the front of the bodice, and trailing off down the dress, like stars coming out in a sunset.

High points for me personally though, were Paul Stefko as Hamlet's Ghost and Adam Hirt playing several parts, including a priest. Apparently someone at the Thursday night show thought Paul was "scary". I'm incapable of seeing Paul as scary, but he was definitely an imposing figure and cut a big shadow across the stage.

I'm no theater critic, heck, I haven't been actively involved with a performance for 5 years now, but I think Hamlet was an auspicious way to open the new theater. I hope auspicious is the right word. I also haven't written anything for credit in over two years... I need to take some classes or something, my brain is atrophying.

Merry Part and Blessed Be!
And To Thine Own Self, Be True!

- Oh, I forgot the other part I really liked, when Hamlet killed Polonius behind the screen and the blood sprayed on it.