Hamlet On the Green Review!! (September 2012)

I saw this production of "Hamlet" a while ago ("Hamlet" is my favorite play EVER!) and I never put the post up. There was a lot of stuff going on. I just found this review. This was published in Pace's English Department Newsletter. It's a review of the production of "Hamlet" that the Globe Theatre put on on the lawn outside of Miller Hall. I'll include a couple of pictures as well. Here it is!

Hamlet On The Green

The weekend of September 28^th 2012 is sure to be the highlight of any English majors’ semester. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre came to the Pleasantville campus to put on a production of "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark". There were performances Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Several of the English majors attended two or three performances. Personally, I could not get enough of this production. Reading the words on the page is one thing. Seeing them acted out right in front of you is another.

The production, directed by Dominic Dromgoole and Bill Buckhurst, kept the set to a bare minimum. Thus allowing the audience to focus in on the words and the story. The simple wooden stage was outside on the Miller Lawn and even the weather seemed to be getting into the show. During Friday’s performance, at some of the most somber moments a light drizzle would start to fall.

 "Hamlet" has it’s share of somber moments to be sure. What I was pleasantly surprised at was the amount of comedy they managed to bring to the play. For instance, King Cladius, played by Dickon Tyrell, tripped over Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s names more than once. Despite this play’s somber themes it had a vibrancy to it. Much of it was brought to the play by Hamlet himself, played by Michael Benz. Hamlet had a boyish charm and energy. During his most touching lines he’d often include a youthful smirk, engendering even more sympathy for this poor young man on the stage. This production was wonderful and I would be happy to see it again. 

Pictures:

Hamlet with Yorick's skull.

Hamlet at Ophelia's grave.

Hamlet and Laertes dual. 

Hamlet dying. :(

After the play was over. The cast danced. Here is Hamlet and Ophelia. 

The whole cast dancing.

Michael Benz (who played Hamlet) gets a standing ovation. 

Me after getting Michael Benz's (Hamlet's) autograph after the show. 

I hope you enjoyed this post! It was a wonderful time and a wonderful production! Out of the three times they put on this production I saw it twice! I hope you go read or see some Shakespeare (Hamlet, perhaps?) very soon!

<3 Amanda Leigh