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Shakespeare Theatre production well worth the wait
BY STUART DUNCAN
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
REVIEW
By popular acceptance, "Hamlet" is Shakespeare's masterpiece. Some high school English teachers might pick "Julius Caesar" or perhaps "MacBeth." A few on the university level might prefer "Othello." But the tragedy of the tortured Dane inspires actors and audiences and has in the four centuries of its existence.
More than 10,000 books have been written on this single play, plus hundreds of productions. Some, of course, fail rather badly, but all attempt to "pluck out the heart of the mystery" of the work. The latest is at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, nestled into the beautiful campus of Drew University, in Madison.
By her own admission, Artistic Director Bonnie Monte has been waiting more than a quarter century to stage the play – with its staggering combinations of glimpsed truths amid the inevitable peering into the darkness. And it is a joy to be able to say that the wait has been very much worth it.
The current production is a stirring accomplishment – heartbreaking yet deliciously funny in spots. Savage, yet tender when needed. And, above all, deeply satisfying at a time when the truth it seeks are often hard to recognize.Of course, when you discuss "Hamlet," especially with those who most have studied and cared for it, you knock heads with pre-conceived notions as to how the characters should – or even must – be played. And Ms. Monte's production is no exception.
To begin with, every director begins with some idea of what needs to be cut from the overlong script. This one runs three hours, eight minutes (it can actually run about four and a half hours in uncut). Inevitably someone's idea of a lovely couplet will be chopped. The version headed for Broadway, starring Jude Law apparently runs three hours, ten minutes, for comparison.
The heart of this staging is a superb company, seamlessly interspersed with veterans and first-timers alike, but all honed to infinite shadings of the multi-layered text.
Among the standouts: John Hickok, as Polonius, always with a sentence to add to the conversation, no matter how complete; Lauren English, as a much abused Ophelia; Greg Jackson, a particularly effective Horatio; Ames Adamson, first as the Player King, later as the First Gravedigger, and both times, commanding; Gene Gillette and Michael Stewart Allen, perfectly teamed as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
But the play ultimately lies in the hands of Gareth Saxe, as Hamlet, and Robert Cuccioli as his stepfather, Claudius. On opening night, both grew stronger as the play unfolded. Saxe became more focused as he dropped his feigned madness; Cuccioli became more regal as his authority was challenged. Director Monte doubtless intended it so and has paced the evening with infinite care. The swordplay is particularly vigorous (credit Rick Sordelet); the stage shiftings are choreographed like so many ensemble dances. And as the plot twists, the tension constantly tightens.
And thus, the evening becomes subtly the tragedy of an entire family, a whole court, rather than a single title character. Luckily you don't have to wait years: It is sitting in Madison right now.
"Hamlet" continues at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, 36 Madison Ave., Madison, through October 11. Call the box office at (973) 408-5600 or visit ShakespeareNJ.org for performance times, prices and reservations.
