October 31, 2014
The tragedy of Hamlet is well-trod territory for actors and directors alike. At a slim 95 minutes, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, playing now in the Chapel, does not reinvent the wheel when it comes to interpreting Shakespeare’s words. The production plays like a greatest hits of Hamlet, demonstrating the play’s capacity as an actor’s playground. This play particularly functions as a showcase for the actors, reducing the extensive cast of Hamlet to a trio. The actors prove versatile in shifting characters, even switching between playing humans and puppets. Nate Goebel ’15, Lizzie Buchanan ’15 and Peter Bresnan ’15 prove that the dust has still not settled on Shakespeare’s play. It is still a powerful, virile play when enlivened by potent actors.
Hamlet immediately sets itself apart from most traditional productions of Shakespeare. The informal nature of the production is such that the actors all perform barefoot for the duration of the show. The actors warm up on stage, stretching and doing voice exercises, and the stage managers Gabby Sher ’15 and Lily Johnston ’16 clearly wait in the wings. The production makes clear its lo-fi quality when a guard rushes the stage armed with a tennis racket. Claudius wears a paper crown, and the ghost of Hamlet’s father looks like a last-minute Halloween costume. The play has an ace up its sleeve in the fact that the performances transcend the intentional lack of production value.
Nate Goebel, as the hoodied Hamlet, lets his character’s grief drip into every aspect of his performance. His countenance is firm, and he drifts into scenes like a shadow. He chooses to underplay Hamlet’s madness, instead portraying his anger as a slow boil. The director’s notes state that Hamlet is a play for the young, and the production leans heavily on teenage angst, especially in terms of Hamlet’s characterization. Goebel is at his best acting alongside Lizzie Buchanan as characters Ophelia and Gertrude; for example, the “Get thee to a nunnery scene” is primal and uncomfortably forceful. Buchanan brings a haunting quality to Ophelia’s sing-song hymn of madness. Director Peter Bresnan also pulls double duty as an actor. He makes Claudius’ murder confession especially effective with his emotional rawness.
When the trio get their hands into the puppet characters, they are truly able to cut loose. The somber palette with which Goebel colors Hamlet gives way to his bright enthusiasm as Polonius. As Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Buchanan and Bresnan make what look like two Muppet rejects into endearingly comical creatures. The trio bop around the stage, whirring in high-pitched tones. The tiny cast also allows for imaginative scene blocking. At the end of the play, Buchanan, as both Gertrude and Claudius, agrees with herself over drinking the poisoned wine. Goebel and Bresnan act as friends Hamlet and Horatio in one scene, and transition into rivals Hamlet and Laertes in the next. The play emphasizes its values by maintaining all the comedy. Even the easily-excised character of Osric remains present. The fact that some characters are rendered as puppets, such as Polonius and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, stresses the ridiculous quality with which Shakespeare imbued them.
The play makes new connections in abridging the text, and takes its own liberties in unraveling Shakespeare’s most famous work. Hamlet ends speaking to the audience, pleading with the playgoers to tell his story, rather than Horatio closing out the play. The relationship between the audience and the actors is blurred in this production, as the chapel space allows for a high level of intimacy. Tragicall Historie makes the tragedy of Hamlet, often so distant in productions, a deeply personal experience. This can be attributed to the talents of the actors, the director and stage manager who give them the freedom to explore the stage. The play represents wonderful experimentation with an age-old text.
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