By Gale Hemmann
Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. A tale of revenge, guilt and mortality, it has appealed to audiences for hundreds of years. We hear many phrases and lines today that come from the play – “to be or not to be,” “a piece of work,” “to the manor born.” Hamlet’s influence on popular culture is undeniable, and Olympians are treated to an opportunity to see it performed by one of the top theater companies in America.
For one night only, The Acting Company will be presenting Hamlet, directed by Ian Belknap, at South Puget Sound Community College’s Minnaert Center for the Arts. The play is on Tuesday, October 22 at 7:30 p.m. Whether you are a devoted Shakespeare fan or you’ve never seen a Shakespeare play, the cast and director of Hamlet assure you that you are in for a treat.
Based in New York City, The Acting Company is a world-famous theater company, and is considered the best touring company in the United States. They will be stopping in Olympia on their tour of nearly one hundred performances of Hamlet (the play will begin off-Broadway in New York in January). They have received the Tony Award for Excellence in Theater and have been featured in Time magazine and the New York Times.
Founded by John Houseman and Margot Harley in 1972, their alumni include actor Kevin Kline. Their mission is both to train young classical actors and to promote theater to diverse audiences around the country. With nearly one hundred and forty seasons under their belt, The Acting Company has visited nearly every state and looks forward to returning to Olympia with Hamlet.
I had the opportunity to interview Ian Belknap, Artistic Director for The Acting Company, by phone. Based in New York City, Belknap is a well-known writer and director, and has done acting and stand-up comedy in the past. He is passionate about his work.
As Hamlet goes on the road, Belknap wishes to make one thing clear for audiences: Hamlet is for everyone. He says that Hamlet is essentially about “two giant titans battling it out on the edge of a cliff” – a story of action and adventure that is reflected in many popular movies today. Audiences over the centuries have loved the story, and Belknap says that every audience member can relate to at least one of the characters. (Are you a Prince Hamlet, a Gertrude, or an Ophelia?) Hamlet deals with universal themes of betrayal, soul-searching, and family on a dramatic scale.
Shakespeare wrote for regular, everyday people during his life. Belknap is quick to point out that this everyday appeal is still there for contemporary audiences – this is why his plays have endured. The Acting Company worked with a top-notch language coach to make the Shakespearean dialogue clear for today’s audiences while retaining its beauty. The play features full Elizabethan costumes, a lush set, and even live fencing.
When asked why people should come see Hamlet, Belknap says, “I feel very strongly that it’s the greatest play in the English language. I think audiences will relish the experience of seeing it come to life.”
One reason to see Hamlet is for the great characters. Belknap says the timeless, larger-than-life characters are one thing audiences enjoy most about the play. The Acting Company’s top-notch actors are able to infuse personality and humor into the roles.
I also had the opportunity to speak with Patrick Lane, the actor who plays Claudius. Claudius is the antagonist of the play. He kills King Hamlet, marries the late king’s wife, Gertrude, and plots to kill the young Prince Hamlet. Along the way he struggles with remorse, guilt, and the search for religion before he is ultimately killed by Prince Hamlet. I asked Lane what it was like to play the character. He said he identified with aspects of Claudius’s personality (like all of Shakespeare’s characters, the “bad guy” has good qualities too) and his search for freedom and understanding.
Lane thinks the audience will relate to Hamlet because it depicts everyday situations with heightened dramatic appeal. He is new to The Acting Company, having joined three months ago after working with the American Conservatory Theater in Los Angeles. He says working with the Hamlet cast has been fantastic, and he is excited to take the production on the road. In the past, Lane acted in Romeo and Juliet, and says he loves performing Shakespeare for audiences because the language is so timeless and powerful.
For ticket information about Hamlet, visit South Puget Sound Community College’s Minneart Center for the Arts website. Admission is free for SPSCC students, staff, and faculty, and there are discounted rates for students of other institutions, military, seniors, youth and student groups.
