CE+Hamlet+Critique

Good 1. I really liked that the director chose to put a modern spin on the play by dressing the characters in modern clothing. Hamlet and his friends looked exactly like European scholars with their flannel shirts and chucks. Shakespeare’s language can be difficult to understand and I think that if the actors were in clothes that suited the period, the play would have been more boring. The modern clothes made the performance more relatable and entertaining for a college audience. 2. The actor who played Claudius was perfectly cast. He had great stage presence and read as a very forceful and powerful man. His deep voice reverberated through the theatre. 3. The actor who played Hamlet was very talented. He seemed so natural on stage that his character was very believable, and it was easy to listen to his long monologues. 4. The beginning number was really funny and helped get the audience ready and excited. Hamlet is a very long performance; beginning the play with a quirky skit was more entertaining than simply beginning the act. 5. The double-casting in this performance was done very skillfully, I didn’t feel distracted or confused when I saw the same person. The actors changed their costumes and mannerisms completely and it was clear to the audience that they were supposed to be a different character.

Bad 1. Although I liked the modern spin, the actor with the red hair that was using the palm pilot went way too far with it. There were many scenes where I missed the lines because he was furiously and loudly poking the palm pilot. 2. I didn’t like that the stage background was a steel contraption of platforms. It was appropriate at times, like the beginning with the guards, but there should have been a more scenic background for when the characters were inside the castle. 3. The black and white players from the opening skit that wandered around in the background were very distracting throughout the play and I didn’t understand the point of this. 4. The king’s ghost was so wrapped up in shiny accessories that he looked like an astronaut. Or an alien. It was obvious that the king was dressed that way to reflect light and make him look more like a ghost, but it also made him look less like a real king. 5. At one point when Ophelia was speaking, Hamlet was pushed around the stage hanging upside down from a ladder taking pictures. I was so distracted and confused by this, I didn’t hear Ophelia’s line. I suppose the director was trying to show Hamlet going crazy as well as fit the digital camera into the modern concept, but I heard chuckles from the audience and I don't think this part contributed to an effective concept.