If all the world's a stage then at times it is a stage full of rotary, mundane action. It lacks coordination of theme music and costume. If the world is a stage, then it is made up of restrained thought and expression, and wants a proper intermission in which the exhausted players are allowed a brief reprieve.
In contrast, the Encore broadcast of Hamlet was riveting. The general opinion hold true, so much life and color and dimension is lost when a play is read silently. The characters, stage and plot are two dimensional, trapped in a prison of black and white printed uniformly on bound sheets, encased between two solid coverings.
To see a play is to see the humanity of it. This humanity is the gift of those who choose to breathe life into it, and with it comes pieces of their personality and unique experiences. Glimpses of these pieces were offered throughout the play: dressing Hamlet as a toy soldier when he was mad, using Nat King Coles "Nature Boy" as the music for the introduction, giving Ophelia a camera to emphasize her brief role and the importance of her memory, and many more. The idea of abandoning the use of curtains in favor of a single stage set up emphasized the unity of the events and the sad lack thereof in the actions of the royal family and staff.
To be or not to be may very well seem the question, but the answer may very well be that tis noblest in the mind to suffer temporarily through a sea of troubles. And through striving, struggling and passionate effort inspire one's fellow soldiers thus rearming them in preparation for the next wave of the onslaught.
I agree. Seeing the play complemented the written text because the human element of it became rapidly personal. The struggle felt less abstract, and less futile.
ReplyDeleteGaylie, yes! I loved how Hamlet was portrayed so child-like as he progressively became more "mad." It was such an interesting choice, and very well portrayed. I love your imagery - The words definitely come alive while performed, and everything takes on so much more meaning!
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