Hamlet offers new directions for the Bard

The play's not the only thing when it comes to the Theater and Dance department's production of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark. The production of one of Shakespeare's most famous works engages multiple issues both onstage and off. While traditionally Hamlet has been considered a play about tragedy and madness, the Oberlin production brought another theme to Shakespeare's work - oppurtunity. Hamlet presents an opportunity for students to taste a professional production, for actors to assume new roles and for a large audience to experience Shakespeare's play.

Michael Early, Artist-in-Residence at Oberlin for the past two years, gathered a number of his professional colleagues to bring to fruition a project inspired many years ago. Director Toby Robertson met Early at the British American Drama Academy at Oxford University where they began to consider a collaboration. Along with Robertson, Early drew old friends from Yale Drama School, New York City and Cleveland to compose the professional component of Hamlet's cast.

The professional cast members take on the larger roles of the play, such as Hamlet who is played by Early and the King of Denmark Claudius, Gertrude the queen, Polonius, Lord Chamberlain and Guildenstern. Oberlin College students compose the supporting cast and ensemble.

For the students, Hamlet has meant an opportunity to work in a more professional environment. Associate Director junior Tommy Kriegsmann emphasized the importance of bringing professional performers and directors on campus. "It's vital if Oberlin wants to produce successful students," he said.

As associate director, Kriegsmann worked as an assistant and understudy to director Robinson, as well as a liaison between director and students. Kriegsmann emphasized the equality of expectations for both students and professionals. For the majority of students working on Hamlet this was their first taste of professional theater. Early reinforced the professional nature of the production by speaking to his experience in rehearsal with students, "When I'm there I'm not their professor; I'm their colleague."

As an educational piece Hamlet's emphasis is on learning by doing. "Working in a classroom is like working in a vacuum. There's a very false construct that happens in the classroom," Early said. Senior double-degree David Tarlow, who assumed multiple roles in the play, found value in the experience as he contemplated a future in the theater, "It gave me a heightened sense of what it's like to be in a professional production." Tarlow contrasted the production of Hamlet to student-run productions in terms of the level of focus during the rehearsal and performance stages. "Whenever I was in a scene with an actor we were... in a different mindset. We worked harder and that contributed overall to my performance."

The production of Hamlet did not limit its opportunities to students. For the professional actors, Oberlin's Hamlet was an opportunity to stage a Shakespearean production that defied classical tradition. The casting of a largely African-American starring cast reflected Oberlin's liberal tradition. Robert Beatty, an Equity actor portraying Claudius, King of Denmark, remarked on the opportunity that Hamlet provided to those who are usually cast in supporting roles. A phenomenon in television also appears in the theater where African-Americans, Asians, Latinos and other minorities are relegated to smaller "sidekick" roles to white stars.

Often minority actors only have the chance to defy traditional casting and portray main characters of the classics when in an academic setting. Beatty, referring back to days spent with Early at Yale Drama School, said, " Michael used to say, `There's a big correction [to the casting lists] coming when we get out of Yale.'" Beatty gave evidence to Early's point by pointing to the fact that his role at Oberlin as Claudius is the longest speaking role in a classical play that he has had since college. "It's just damn frustrating as an actor - you can only grow so much in the small roles."

Referring to the effort to create a diverse production Robertson said, "This was an important thing to do... It's about the development, support and nurturing of talent. It doesn't matter where that talent comes from. It has to be looked after." Robertson had hoped to cast an entirely diverse Hamlet. However, the concurrent production of Porgy and Bess, by Oberlin Opera Theater, attracted the same pool of talented African-American students.

Following on the aim of opening up classical theater to a larger group, the producers and players of Hamlet made an unique effort to reach out into the local community. Outreach projects included visiting the local schools including Langston Middle School and Elyria Catholic High School. Actors also presented scenes from Hamlet at the Oberlin Public Library, Kendal and also to a group of Upward Bound students. Aimed at accessing a larger audience, the Theater Department gave away 100 tickets to the Second Harvest Food Bank to distribute throughout the local community. "It's always been more than just putting on a production of Hamlet," said Early. Robertson pointed out that the traditions of access can be drawn to Shakespeare's day when the plays were performed on bare boards before an audience of varied economic levels and backgrounds. In the current era where theater audiences have become increasingly middle class, Hamlet tries to reach out to include more people in its tradition.

What a piece of work: Michael Early, portraying the Prince of Denmark in white-face, brings questions of racism to the Shakespearean classic, showing this weekend at Hall Auditorium (photo courtesy of Phoenix Rising Productions)