Hamlet

I have missed the Gorilla Repertory Theater, so I was thrilled to see that they were offering a full-length Hamlet "workshop" performance. The NY Times raved about it, so my expectations were high - even though the performance was going to be indoors rather than their usual set-up.

It was a bit of a disappointment, unfortunately. So let's start with some of the good things about the production. I really liked Gertrude and Horatio, and the gravediggers. I liked the sound effects and lighting (unusual for this theater company, they actually had some - the director banged on a coal shovel for the sound of a clock striking, and two guys with flashlights illuminated Hamlet's father's face to give him a more ghostly appearance). Most of the other actors were pretty good too. But for me, the two weakest links were Hamlet and Ophelia.

Let's start with Ophelia, since she was the biggest disappointment. The actress playing her is tall and strong and healthy-looking. She looks, sounds, and moves like a modern American woman. She can't hide it. That's how she comes across: an unambiguously all-American go-getter type. That's great news, in general (think how much money she'll save in all the therapy she'll never need!). But it's bad news for an actress who wants to play Ophelia. To my mind, someone playing Ophelia needs to seem delicate or fragile in some way. She needs to appear weak enough to be pushed around by her father and brother. It needs to be credible that she will fall to pieces after Hamlet's rough treatment. This actress just isn't fragile or delicate. When she skips around in her "mad" scene, she looks like a perfectly healthy and sane woman who has cast aside her inhibitions. I very much wanted to like her as Ophelia, and her line readings were good, but I fear she will need a different role to really shine.

Hamlet was also a problem for me. Here, the problem was that he basically came across as unhinged from the very first scene with his father's ghost. And he threw himself writhing on the floor a bit much throughout the play - his performance repeatedly went over the top. Except for the 2B soliloquy, which he rushed through almost as an aside (perhaps to de-fuse all the excessive expectations people have for that most famous of speeches?). I think Hamlet kind of needs to be sane for the story to make sense and have a point.

Of course, I will be donating money to Gorilla Rep anyway, because I like them and want their productions to continue (especially outdoors in the parks during summer). Their performances in past years have been particularly strong, and I hope that they will return to that caliber.