The Director’s and Dramaturg’s notes on Hamlet talk of the pitfalls of reinterpreting Shakespeare for a modern audience. Gussy it up with modern twists and it becomes a gimmick; try to tie it to its original time period and it becomes an artifact. The goal is to “create a common space,” as dramaturg David Cumming (SFS ’08) puts it; to be “bridge-builders.”
And so this production, directed by Seamus Sullivan (SFS ’08), chooses, well, nothing, really. No impossible coin tosses, no animated lions, no ghosts on video screens. This Hamlet takes place in what the program calls “the capital of a modern state, much like Washington, D.C.,” though there is no discernible evidence of this onstage. The characters are dressed in excellent costumes of modern, era-defying dress, and the set (apparently based on the WWII Memorial on the Mall) provides no real clues as to where or when we are. There are no radical revelations to be gleaned from this “interpretation,” no dramatic reworkings or drastic changes. Hamlet does not kiss Horatio, the bit characters stay bit and people fight with actual swords. With no gimmicks, the show relies on Shakespeare’s words (always a safe bet) and that old standby, acting.
The words of a Shakespeare play, particularly a literary behemoth like Hamlet, have been heard many times before, in so many different contexts. They must be invested with feeling and emotion and, a particular difficulty, must seem as if they are coming spontaneously to the character’s heads. There is the difficulty of getting lost in the words, a disconnect between word and feeling. The actor radiates anger, but the words just fall out, as if waiting to get to the next thing.
Some actors managed to avoid this problem completely, some were hit-or-miss. There are a lot of words in this play, and sometimes they just need to be said and gotten through. But when they got it right, each word was invested with emotion, making lengthy speeches exciting and dizzying metaphors more meaningful.
Hamlet, played by Matt MacNelly (COL ’08) in a pink tie and Converse sneakers (did I mention how much I liked the costumes?) was excellent. Clearly more at home playing the petulant, witty brat than the overdramatic, avenging hero, he still had enough presence for soliloquies and swordfights. And he looks the part: tall and lanky with hair that stands up more and more as the story progresses.
The other standout actor was John Maurer (SFS ’10) as Polonius (and Osric, the guy who watches the swordfight at the end), who beats out Bill Murray from the Ethan Hawke Hamlet as my ideal Polonius. The perfect mixture of unctuous speeches and buffoonery with a core of earnestness, he makes the scenes with his children pure genius, and any moment with him on stage is funny.
Two and a half hours may be a short Hamlet, but it’s a long time to do anything. This production can be commended for seamlessly cutting things down and keeping the energy up though all those speeches. By the time the red punch spewed and there were four dead bodies on the floor, we’d run through every emotion in the book and at least fifty different sexual innuendos. A classic play presented with class. What more can one want?
Hamlet runs through Sunday at Poulton Hall. Tickets are $8 for students at http://performingarts.georgetown.edu/
