HAMLET


Ramón de Ocampo’s bravura lead performance, Elizabeth Swain’s insightful direction, and a striking production design are just three reasons to celebrate Antaeus Theatre Company’s return to in-person productions with their meaty, three-hour long Hamlet.

Since any new staging of what is widely considered the greatest play ever written will rise or fall on the shoulders of its Hamlet, it’s a pleasure to report that de Ocampo’s star turn is as dynamic, charismatic, impassioned, and heartfelt as Hamlets get.

Gone is any trace of the wishy-washy. This Prince of Denmark knows precisely what he’s doing, what his aims are, and what he’s up against. His mad scenes appear calculated to achieve a desired effect from those who observe and comment on his “insanity,” and it’s clear that he relishes playing with their minds.

And this is no namby-pamby Hamlet either. de Ocampo quite literally breaks a sweat in a performance made up of equal parts physical stamina and mental agility.

Among supporting cast members, the production’s three female players shine brightest and most memorably.

Jeanne Syquia’s fiery Ophelia is unlike any I’ve seen, reconceived as a young woman of grit and spunk, and one whose “sung-through” mad scenes prove particularly devastating to witness.

Veralyn Jones’s Gertrude is the epitome of regal composure and hauteur, making the tears that stream down her face when accused of betrayal by a son she clearly adores quite devastating to behold.

And Sally Hughes, in a grand total of four male roles (most notably that of Guildenstern), not only clearly delineates one from the other, it’s a treat to see her gender-bending gifts revealed so entertainingly. (She’s also Voltemand, Reynaldo, and Fortinbras.)

Hughes is not the only performer to take on multiple assignments in a company whittled down to ten performers. (By contrast, Richard Burton’s 1964 Broadway Hamlet had a cast of twenty-eight.)

Gregg T. Daniels doubles as Claudius and The Ghost, Michael Kirby is both Laertes and Player Queen, Lloyd Roberson II is Rosencrantz, Bernardo, Player 3 & 4, Priest, and Courtier, Joel Swetow is Marcellus, First Player, and Captain, and Peter Van Norden is both Cornelius and Gravedigger, and all are excellent indeed as is a particularly compelling Adam J. Smith as Horatio. (Even Syquia gets to double drolly as Osric once Ophelia has met her watery end.)

Not only that, but Swain’s cast make Shakespeare’s Elizabethan English sound almost contemporary and not like some antiquated text.

Since an uncut Hamlet would run a whopping five hours, it’s no wonder  significant trims have been made, though perhaps not as many as I myself might have wished for.

Bows come three hours after curtain at Antaeus, and though shorter-is-better advocates like myself might have preferred to see Fortinbras (and Voltemand) left on the cutting room floor, Shakespeare lovers will likely relish their return, and the fact that this Hamlet doesn’t end when its title character declares, “The rest is silence.”

Adding to production’s allure is an absolutely stunning design, in particular the joint efforts of frequent collaborators Stephen Gifford (scenic design) and Jared A. Sayeg (lighting).

Gifford’s non-literal set suggests a medieval castle and the woods behind it and Sayeg’s lighting ranges from vibrant golds to eerie darker tones, all of the above enhanced by plenty of stage mist.

Dianne K. Graebner’s costumes are an appealing blend of period and contemporary styles, Cricket S. Myers’ sound design mixes spooky effects with royal pomp, and properties designer Shen Heckel has assembled weapons galore in addition to goblets, skulls, and assorted paraphernalia.

And speaking of weapons, the swordplay choreographed by violence designer Ned Mochel is about as thrilling as it gets.

Liz LaMura is choreographer. Kaite Brandt is assistant director/dramaturg. Taylor Anne Cullen is production stage manager and Jessica Osorio is assistant stage manager. Lucy Pollak is publicist.

When Antaeus last welcomed audiences to the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center, it was for Shakespeare’s Measure For Measure, directed by Armin Shimerman and Elizabeth Swain in February of 2020.

 It seems fitting then that almost two and a half years later, it is Swain’s stirring take on Hamlet that welcomes the company back to business. Ramón de Ocampo’s masterful performance in the title role is reason enough to celebrate its return.

Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center, 110 East Broadway, Glendale.
www.Antaeus.org

–Steven Stanley
May 20, 2022
Photos: Jenny Graham

 

 

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