A stunning new staging of "Hamlet" opens Seattle Shakespeare Company's 20th anniversary season. Performed nearly in its entirety with a three-hour running time, this "Hamlet" still manages to enthrall even those who are not die-hard Shakespeare fans.
Through subtle changes to word emphasis and a departure from the declamatory style many associate with performances of Shakespeare, director John Lang creates a contemporary and approachable "Hamlet." In place of the brooding, intellectual Hamlet is an athletic, witty one.
As interpreted by Darragh Kennan, he is the bright, popular classmate everyone both admires and envies, making his downfall all the more tragic. When Kennan addresses the audience, even the most well known monologues become intimate invitations to share Hamlet's inner musings.
Lang further keeps this "Hamlet" in the realm of the personal by skipping Fortinbras' speech as he makes his triumphant entry at the end of the play. We merely hear the booming of Fortinbras' cannons as the Ghost ushers Hamlet into the next life.
In addition to Kennan, the overall excellent cast of local actors includes many standouts. Richard Ziman's Claudius is super as a blow-hard politician with a repellent, self-congratulatory bonhomie.
Ever reliable Charles Leggett delivers in multiple roles from a terrifying but poignant Hamlet's ghost, to the gallows-humor-spouting philosopher and grave digger. Brenda Joyner, looking genuinely teen-aged, makes a lovely Ophelia whose sweetness makes her mad scene all the more horrifying. Shawn Law wears his outrage well as a hip Laertes and Mike Dooly is steadfast as the loyal Horatio. Mary Ewald is a little self-contained for the sensual Gertrude but wears vulgarity well as we view her middle aged lust through her son's revulsion.
The well integrated technical design includes Jennifer Zeyl's minimalist scenic design that creates a stark backdrop for dramatic effects of light and shadow by Geoff Korf. Pete Rush clothes the highly politicized court in monochromatic black-and-white, presenting a contrast to the colorful costumes of the truth-telling traveling troupe of players. And mention must be made of Gordon Carpenter's excellent choreography of Hamlet and Laertes's duel.
"Hamlet" plays through Dec. 5 at the Seattle Shakespeare Company, joined in repertory mid-November by "Wittenberg," a contemporary comedy by David Davalos about Hamlet's college days.[[In-content Ad]]
