...How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god...
Hamlet: What a way to end our experience with Shakespeare this summer. It really was the ultimate conclusion; in my mind, Hamlet is the best display of Shakespeare's genius. It has everything--eloquent soliloquies, internal conflict, strained family relations, complicated romantic pairings, political strife, murder, incest, betrayal, a dumb show, metatheatre, and of course ruminations on the meaning and worth of life. I love every word of it. And I loved every second of the RSC production last night.
David Tennant (supposedly a British TV and film star over here--the crowd went crazy for him) starred as Hamlet, and he charmed us through and through. Clearly, he was in control of his madness--and he knew everything that was going on with everyone else around him...but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what was going on in his own head. I don't know exactly how Tennant achieved that dynamic, but he did, and we all were pulling for him despite the fact that he is directly or indirectly responsible for everyone's death in the play. Wearing jeans and a red t-shirt (no shoes) for most of the play, Tennant capitalized on many of the lines that were never totally clear to me, showing me what they could mean and how they could be played. It was his relationship with Gertrude that most affected me--you could tell that they were close but that her marriage to Claudius was a hurdle they would never be able to overcome. She was a woman conflicted from start to finish, but her clear suicide at the end of the play (she knows the cup is poisoned and drinks anyway) suggested that even she was weighed down by the recent events in Denmark. Lucky for us, we get to talk to Gertrude today at Miriam's house. We also get to have a Q&A with the actress who played Kate in Taming of the Shrew. Once again, let me just say that our professor is AMAZING. I could not adore Miriam more.
Back to the play: Patrick Stewart played the Ghost and Claudius, and while it was a thrill to see him up close and personal, I have to admit I wasn't bowled over by his performance. He is an RSC legend--he was a principal actor here from 1966 to 1982 before he went on to things like Star Trek and The Christmas Carol--and it was pretty special to see someone so dedicated to the stage return in such a pivotal role. His version of Claudius was pretty much what you would expect: manipulative and charming.
I am perhaps most grateful for the performance of Polonius. I have always been intrigued by the father of Ophelia and Laertes. What's with all of the hypocritical advice he gives his children? Why does he send a spy after Laertes? Why does he sound so glib in several scenes? Oliver Ford Davies (supposedly another RSC legend) was brilliant in the role. He portrayed Polonius as a protective father who is keen enough to know what is going on in their lives but old enough to sometimes lose track of his thoughts and trail off into nothingness. When Hamlet calls him a "knavish fool" after he kills Polonius through the arras, it was too perfect. That's exactly what he was in the play: a knavish fool.
Ophelia=Haunting. I couldn't stop thinking about her last night. Just so sad. You ache for her in this production.
The set was pretty cool, too. It was a mirrored stage, and the panels of mirrors served as the walls behind which characters stood when they were spying on each other. When Hamlet shot Polonius through the mirror, the entire wall cracked with a big boom. Fantastic. And mirrors are just too appropriate for this play--everything is a reflection. The opening scene ("Who's there?) was also really special--all of the lights were down in the house, so we were just as surprised as Barnardo when Francisco entered. They also set up a neat graveyard scene--they must have used a hiding door on the floor to achieve the depth they conveyed on stage. And the fight scenes were vivid and intense.
All in all, a night to remember. and remember it I will. This entire summer has been so meaningful for me, and such a growth experience personally and intellectually. I am feeling profoundly grateful and humbled to have been able to do all of this. As I finish my final project this weekend (a lesson plan for R&J), I will surely be stimulated by the immense exposure I have been granted this summer to great literature and inspiring people.
Off to Stratford today for our interviews with the actors and for class on Hamlet. This weekend I will be working hard in the library--but I am so excited about it. I am focused and eager to get some good work down on paper before I leave. Mom and Dad arrive on Monday!
Hamlet: What a way to end our experience with Shakespeare this summer. It really was the ultimate conclusion; in my mind, Hamlet is the best display of Shakespeare's genius. It has everything--eloquent soliloquies, internal conflict, strained family relations, complicated romantic pairings, political strife, murder, incest, betrayal, a dumb show, metatheatre, and of course ruminations on the meaning and worth of life. I love every word of it. And I loved every second of the RSC production last night.
David Tennant (supposedly a British TV and film star over here--the crowd went crazy for him) starred as Hamlet, and he charmed us through and through. Clearly, he was in control of his madness--and he knew everything that was going on with everyone else around him...but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what was going on in his own head. I don't know exactly how Tennant achieved that dynamic, but he did, and we all were pulling for him despite the fact that he is directly or indirectly responsible for everyone's death in the play. Wearing jeans and a red t-shirt (no shoes) for most of the play, Tennant capitalized on many of the lines that were never totally clear to me, showing me what they could mean and how they could be played. It was his relationship with Gertrude that most affected me--you could tell that they were close but that her marriage to Claudius was a hurdle they would never be able to overcome. She was a woman conflicted from start to finish, but her clear suicide at the end of the play (she knows the cup is poisoned and drinks anyway) suggested that even she was weighed down by the recent events in Denmark. Lucky for us, we get to talk to Gertrude today at Miriam's house. We also get to have a Q&A with the actress who played Kate in Taming of the Shrew. Once again, let me just say that our professor is AMAZING. I could not adore Miriam more.
Back to the play: Patrick Stewart played the Ghost and Claudius, and while it was a thrill to see him up close and personal, I have to admit I wasn't bowled over by his performance. He is an RSC legend--he was a principal actor here from 1966 to 1982 before he went on to things like Star Trek and The Christmas Carol--and it was pretty special to see someone so dedicated to the stage return in such a pivotal role. His version of Claudius was pretty much what you would expect: manipulative and charming.
I am perhaps most grateful for the performance of Polonius. I have always been intrigued by the father of Ophelia and Laertes. What's with all of the hypocritical advice he gives his children? Why does he send a spy after Laertes? Why does he sound so glib in several scenes? Oliver Ford Davies (supposedly another RSC legend) was brilliant in the role. He portrayed Polonius as a protective father who is keen enough to know what is going on in their lives but old enough to sometimes lose track of his thoughts and trail off into nothingness. When Hamlet calls him a "knavish fool" after he kills Polonius through the arras, it was too perfect. That's exactly what he was in the play: a knavish fool.
Ophelia=Haunting. I couldn't stop thinking about her last night. Just so sad. You ache for her in this production.
The set was pretty cool, too. It was a mirrored stage, and the panels of mirrors served as the walls behind which characters stood when they were spying on each other. When Hamlet shot Polonius through the mirror, the entire wall cracked with a big boom. Fantastic. And mirrors are just too appropriate for this play--everything is a reflection. The opening scene ("Who's there?) was also really special--all of the lights were down in the house, so we were just as surprised as Barnardo when Francisco entered. They also set up a neat graveyard scene--they must have used a hiding door on the floor to achieve the depth they conveyed on stage. And the fight scenes were vivid and intense.
All in all, a night to remember. and remember it I will. This entire summer has been so meaningful for me, and such a growth experience personally and intellectually. I am feeling profoundly grateful and humbled to have been able to do all of this. As I finish my final project this weekend (a lesson plan for R&J), I will surely be stimulated by the immense exposure I have been granted this summer to great literature and inspiring people.
Off to Stratford today for our interviews with the actors and for class on Hamlet. This weekend I will be working hard in the library--but I am so excited about it. I am focused and eager to get some good work down on paper before I leave. Mom and Dad arrive on Monday!
2 comments:
sounds like an amazing performance! Love the blog:)
It was more amazing that you realize. Sounds like the performance of a lifetime. Not only was Star Trek's Patrick Stewart there, but David Tennant is the current Doctor Who on British TV and the American SciFi Network. The June episode of Doctor Who was watched by 50% of British TVs. He's HUGELY popular. Not to mention that he was in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
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