By Olly Johnson
For the second show of their 2024 season, Stage Right Productions has decided to produce the classic drama “Hamlet,” written by one of the most popular playwrights that will ever exist, William Shakespeare. For those unfamiliar with the plot, the story follows the titular Hamlet (played by Dylan Mead) as he tries to avenge his father, who happens to be king of Denmark, after being told about how he died by his father’s ghost (played by Jackson Holmes). He is told to kill his uncle Claudius (played by Nolan Keating), who killed his brother for the throne. Think of “The Lion King” as a modern equivalent.
Though Stage Right Productions has performed a Shakespeare play in recent memory in the form of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” this one is different. Not just from the mentioned play, but every single other production Stage Right has ever done. Most notably, the entire way the audience perceives the show is completely different than any other Stage Right show. All of the prior productions were staged as you would expect, with actors on stage and the audience in the house. The bread and butter of theater. Hamlet, however, opted for a “theater in the round” style performance, where the audience is also on stage and surrounds the actors, who perform within a square. This style has some downsides, but if done right, it can soar. Sadly, the format puts a major seat cap on the performance, being 45. But to counter this, the AV crew had most of their work cut out for them. Due to how the audio is designed in the space, adding microphones, sound effects, etc., will not come through on stage. So they don’t have to set up microphones and such, cutting out most of the technical hiccups that can happen during a performance.
It’s not that the AV crew was doing nothing. On the contrary, the lighting and set design on display far surpasses most of the prior performances. They set the stage by hanging orange lights across the ceiling and little tables with tiny lamps lined the square. The set is admittedly on the simple side of things, but it just oozes charm, giving the vibe of being in a late-night coffee shop.
However, all of these attributes depend on one key factor: The actors on stage. The “theater of the round” style hinges on whether or not the actors can take advantage of that fact. It gives me great pleasure to report that all of the cast brought their A-game throughout the entire three-hour performance. They were able to project their voices and keep in character for the entire time. That’s not where it ends though, as almost all the cast had a moment to shine. The choreographed sword fight between Hamlet and Laertes (played by Corey Saffer) was supine. Ophelia’s (played by Sydney Kitchens) character was portrayed wonderfully, with a special highlight going towards her insanity in the second act where both her acting and her costume combined together to make an amazing performance. Gertrude (played by Hope Songer) had some of the most heart-wrenching scenes in the show, mostly due to her acting. Even some of the small characters had some great scenes, with special acknowledgment to the accent that Marcellus (played by Lasse Bliestle) had throughout his performance. My only true complaint was that on a rare occasion, the characters were hard to hear and understand.
But the biggest praise that I can give to the actors is that they performed this show. This show is a daunting challenge to perform, being three hours and exclusively in old English. I imagine that Hamlet is the equivalent of the PACER test, both being endurance tests for the people involved. This production is different from everything else that Stage Right has ever done, and it succeeds due to its experimental nature. This production is airing on November 1st at 7:00 pm and the 2nd at 4:00 pm, and I would highly recommend going to see it. I would like to leave an excerpt from the director Sammy Meneses. “Personally, with this being my tenth show at the school, I am amazed at how much this program has grown and how much love and support comes in for these kids.”
The Golden Trident 