I hate to admit this, but this performance of Hamlet was my first exposure to the play
being acted out (other than about 50 different versions of the “To be, or not
to be?” speech.) I loved it! I mean, how could you not? The actors were invested
and convincing in their roles, the scenes were beautiful, and the music did a
great job of guiding my emotions throughout the show. Here are a few things
that caught my attention in particular.
Laertes. He was clearly a spectacular actor, but I thought
that the choice to cast a black man was really interesting and added to the
story. I’m not being racist or anything, but stating the obvious. The rest of
the cast is white, so Laertes definitely stands out. I think one of the main reasons
that the casting director might have done this is that one of his jobs in the
story is to serve as a dramatic foil to Hamlet. The way that he and Hamlet
react to the same events, the deaths of their fathers, is totally opposite.
Laertes is furious and hungry for revenge. He barges in, intent on killing
Hamlet, and tries to see it through until it costs him his life. Hamlet, on the
other hand, knows how his father died and who killed him, but makes no major
moves throughout the whole play. The difference in the skin tones of the actors
provided a greater contrast and helped me understand Laertes’ role much better.
Another thing that I really liked about the play was Ophelia’s
camera. I think that the choice to give her a hobby made her a deeper
character. It showed that she was interested in capturing the beauty of the world
around her, just like how she gathered flowers. When she drags her trunk of
photos out onstage before she kills herself, it foreshadows to the audience
that she’s given up on the beauties of this world and they no longer have
meaning for her.
All in all, I’d definitely watch this show again! I’d love
to pick out further nuances in it!
The picture and trunk thing was the only part of Ophelia's role that I thought they did well. It makes her madness and death more real. i did think it was interesting though that she and Laertes were cast as different races, but it didn't strike me as very important.
ReplyDeleteI agree about Ophelia! Her camera was put to such good use. I don't agree with Mary, though. I think the actress did an amazing job. Her role and acting affected me more than anything else. I thought she did a phenomenal job.
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