The Hartford Stage theatre is an excellent place to see a show. The room, newly remodeled, is cozy and comfortable. The sight lines are great, with seats staggered enough in height that the head in front should not be an obstruction. My seat, second row center section on an aisle, had two arm rests and plenty of room. The seat itself was actually turned away from the stage area due to the round house orientation of the room; it was odd but not too much of an issue. Being close to the action and having space made up for the slight turn. (As an aside, why are patrons allowed to bring drinks into the room? The staff should consider revising that policy.)
The set was a novel design. The stage was in the shape of a cross, with black and white faux-marble floor tile. The tile was lit from underneath, so that the white could be brightened or turned into other colors. In the "Swear it!" scene, different portions were highlighted, impelling the cast members to run from place to place. In a later scene, the white tile was alternating red and blue. The cross was edged with benches on the portions of the stage projecting into the crowd. There were several openings in the floor which were used throughout the play--a grave, a lower level of the castle, the arras concealing Polonius (?). The center of the cross also opened, to great dramatic effect. As sharp as the floor looked, the use of large cardboard cut-out curtains instead of real red velvet was notably tacky.
The costumes were very lavish period design. There were neck ruffles on the men. Hamlet was usually attired in black, except for a striking red military outfit donned after his return from England. The priest, who yelled angrily throughout Ophelia's burial, had a nicely-designed black Roman chasuble. Several persons in that scene, wearing full black robes, were not identified. Perhaps they were acolytes, but they looked like full-sized Jawa from Star Wars. There was an exhibit in the theatre highlighting costumes from the company's past productions; this production's versions fit nicely in that collection.
I found the acting to be inconsistent. Hamlet was well played; sensitive, sometimes sarcastically humorous and generally believable. Claudius was harsh and overbearing, which worked. Ophelia was cloying and annoying; too sing-songy at first, not believable in the nunnery scene and just plain irritating after the death of Polonius, who was by turns humorous and bland. The players were all male, but the one playing a female role (quite buxom in costume) was a bit over the top comedically.
I must include a special note about the Ghost. The first "appearance" was merely light and smoke exiting from one of the holes in the floor. When he appeared in person, though, it was a grand entrance indeed. He was raised through the hole in the floor at center stage, in full armor and on (fake) horseback. It was quite a sight! His speaking was a bit emotive, but the stage presence was certainly commanding.
The script was edited into a two hour and forty minute time frame. The action moved quickly; in fact, the first act, which ended after the "Witching time" soliloquy, seemed to fly by. Polonius' instructions to Reynaldo did not include any direction to spy on Laertes. Hamlet did not reprimand Polonius about using the players "better than their deserts." Hamlet's directions to the players were edited, and the dumb show was removed. Ironically, though, Lucianus was actually given lines during "The Mousetrap." "By and by" was not easily said. The search for Polonius was much streamlined. There were no pirates, no mention of "High and Mighty" or bungholes, and Osric's role was reduced. Additionally, the delivery of some of the soliloquies was directly to the audience, which I find confusing. Are we observers or participants? The fourth wall was shattered further when an insane Ophelia delivered a flower to a surprised audience member.
One notable addition to the text was a scene in which Horatio and Gertrude converse about Hamlet's pending return from England. The inclusion of and effect of this scene will be the subject of a more in-depth discussion in a future post.
The role of Fortinbras was oddly used. There was mention of him early on, more than is typical. There was a very brief and awkward insertion of his request to march across Denmark, but the "How all occasions" soliloquy was excised completely. When Fortinbras appeared at the end of the play, it did not seem that enough had been done to explain why, and he did not order Hamlet to be carried out. The reason for that, though, made for an excellent ending to the play.
The duel scene was staged vertically, not horizontally. In a round house setting, someone has to be at the actor's backs. In this case, the center section of the audience was at the back of one of the actors, which prevented any facial expression from being seen. There was not much action in the fight, and the climactic exchange of the poisoned foil was rather lame. Horatio yelled his closing lines, which did not help the somber mood of the scene. Fortinbras arrived on cue to see the dead bodies strewn about the stage. The final scene, though, was incredible. The dead Hamlet fell on his back across the hole in the center of the stage. The floor opened beneath him as his body straddled the opening, and the ghost on horseback rose from below. Hamlet was not borne "like a soldier to the stage," but rather as a dead child cradled in his father's arms, rising to the heavens. As the lights faded to black, that final sight of Hamlet and his father was a powerful one indeed, a master stroke of direction.
All in all, this was an interesting version of Hamlet. While not the best one that I have seen, it certainly was well worth the trip. And that final scene will stay with me for quite a long time.
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