Displaying items by tag: Hamlet

The Player (Lorenze Rush Jr) has just run into Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with his troupe of players. As he explains how the players operate, he announces:

“Every exit is an entrance someplace else.”

As soon as he recites the line, his troupe jumps into action. They move with quickness as they prepare the stage to put on a show for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern – the willing audience they happened to run into on their travels. The line offers an opportunity to perform, and they are excited to take it. The ensemble is strong – particularly in their physical comedy, and they heighten the moment with ease.

On another level, The Player’s line offers the perfect backdrop for the play. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern find themselves at the top of the show unable to remember anything – including where they are or why. As the play moves forward, the anxiety only increases, and it’s clear that the Player’s line rings true. Every turn of events offers another possibility, and it’s unclear where the duo’s story will end.  

(left to right) Lorenzo Rush, Jr., Rob Lindley, Nate Burger, Erik Hellman.

Written by Tom Stoppard, the play follows Rosencrantz (Nate Burger) and Guildenstern (Erik Hellman) – the famous duo from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. We catch a glimpse into what the two friends were navigating in the midst of Hamlet’s crisis – before, after, and during their visit with the Danish prince. As they battle questions of identity, loss, and fate, they meet the Players – the very same troupe that puts on the play in Shakespeare’s tragedy, exposing King Claudius as the murderer of Hamlet’s father. As Rosencrantz and Guildenstern struggle to put the pieces of their story together, they start to get at the root of what it even means to be alive. Burger and Hellman drive the play with spot-on comedic timing, as well as a chemistry that is exciting (and at times heartbreaking) to watch unfold.

Directed skillfully by Charles Newell, the production is fast-paced, and offers a deconstructed adaptation of Stoppard’s piece. If you are anything like this writer and familiar with Stoppard’s play, you may find the approach almost shocking at first. The adaptation is certainly different, and much is cut away to allow this more nuanced view of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s journey. However, upon finding your bearings, you may also discover that the approach immediately thrusts the audience into the chaos of what the duo is feeling as they navigate their story. As the piece quickly jumps through space and time, you may find that the approach almost creates an immersive experience for all witnessing.

Newell’s artistic team leans into the theatricality of the play – particularly in the scenic and lighting design. Scenic Designer John Culbert takes advantage of the vast openness of the stage itself. The furniture primarily includes benches that move about as needed, and the emptiness allows full view of the back wall that clearly states, “Court Theatre.” The story focuses heavily on the group of players, and exposing the stage in this way allows that meta story element to fully take form. Lighting Designer Keith Parham utilizes shadows, playing into the eerie, almost frightening themes of the play – especially those that offer questions around death and existence. 

You might find that the striking design allows for the surprises of the script to hit even harder – starting with the entrance of the players. At the beginning of the play, we meet Rosencrantz and Guildenstern almost at the foot of the stage – with a big red curtain draped behind them. As they start to hear whispers of others in the space, we see large shadows take form on the curtain. The darkness aids in this moment, and we can feel the duo’s fear as they search around, wondering what might attack them. Then, all of a sudden, the red curtain drops to the ground with a bang – shocking the audience with the reveal of the Players backlit in silhouettes. The gesture at this particular performance was met with a mix of gasps and applause as folks overcame the shock and absorbed the staging before them.

Stoppard’s play has been around since 1966, but you might find that Charles Newell brings a fresh take that even leaves long-time fans wondering what twist or turn may happen next. Along with a standout cast and stunning design, Court Theatre’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is one to remember.

RECOMMENDED

Running through April 28, 2024 at Court Theatre – 5535 S. Ellis Avenue.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces today a thrilling addition to the season: Tony Award-nominated actor Eddie Izzard brings her celebrated solo theatrical performance of Hamlet to Chicago, direct from a triple-extended New York run at the Orpheum and Greenwich House Theaters and prior to launching a highly anticipated London transfer at Riverside Studios. Izzard portrays 23 characters in William Shakespeare's iconic play in this dynamic new staging adapted by Mark Izzard and directed by Selina Cadell. This strictly limited two-week engagement plays April 19–May 4, 2024 in the Courtyard Theater.

In Hamlet, The King of Denmark is dead, and Prince Hamlet is determined to take revenge—initiating a cascade of events that will destroy both family and state. Izzard portrays men, women, ghosts, scholars, tyrants, courtiers, lovers, fools, and poets.

She says of the monumental undertaking, "I have always gravitated towards playing complex and challenging characters and Hamlet is the ultimate. This is a production for everyone, a timeless drama with an accidental hero. Selina, Mark, and I want audiences to see and hear an accessible, touching, scary, and dramatic Hamlet."

CST Executive Director Kimberly Motes and Artistic Director Edward Hall shared, "After seeing Eddie's extraordinary performance in New York, we are thrilled she's agreed to join us at CST and share her Hamlet with Chicago audiences before London. It's a rare opportunity to see a Hamlet that makes this a play for all of us—truly a play for today."

A Tony Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actor, Izzard's boundary-pushing career includes critically acclaimed roles in theater, film, and television. On Broadway, Izzard starred in Roundabout Theatre Company's 2003 revival of A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, garnering the Tony nomination for Leading Actor in a Play—and appeared in David Mamet's Race. Major London stage credits include The Cryptogram, Edward II, 900 Oneonta, Joe Egg, and Lenny. Izzard made her West End debut in 1993 in the solo show Live at the Ambassadors, receiving an Olivier Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement. Izzard's film roles include Stephen Frears' Victoria & Abdul opposite Dame Judi Dench, Julie Taymor's Across the Universe, Peter Bogdanovich's The Cat's Meow, Valkyrie, Ocean's Twelve, Ocean's Thirteen, and the recent Doctor Jekyll in which she plays Dr. Nina Jekyll and Rachel Hyde. She is the recipient of two Emmy Awards for her televised special, Dressed to Kill. She's also been seen as Dr. Abel Gideon in "Hannibal" and in FX's critically acclaimed series, "The Riches," in which Izzard both starred and executive produced.

In 2022, Izzard performed a solo adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations—also created in collaboration with Mark Izzard and Selina Cadell—which played to rave reviews and sold-out audiences in New York and in London's West End. The creative team reunites for Hamlet, which features set design by Tom Piper, lighting by Tyler Elich, costume styled by Tom Piper and Libby DaCosta, composer Eliza Thompson, movement director Didi Hopkins, and fight director J. Allen Suddeth. It is produced by Westbeth Entertainment, Mick Perrin Worldwide, and John Gore.

More information at www.chicagoshakes.com/hamlet or on social media at @chicagoshakes.

Hamlet will be presented April 19–May 4, 2024, in the Courtyard Theater. Single tickets starting at $69 are on sale now. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit www.chicagoshakes.com.

ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER

Regional Tony Award-recipient Chicago Shakespeare Theater produces a bold and innovative year-round season—plays, musicals, world premieres, family productions, and theatrical presentations from around the globe—alongside nationally recognized education programming serving tens of thousands of students, teachers, and lifelong learners each year. Founded in 1986, Chicago Shakespeare's onstage work has expanded to as many as twenty productions and 650 performances annually. CST is dedicated to welcoming the next generation of theatergoers; one in four of its audience members is under the age of eighteen. As a nonprofit organization, Chicago Shakespeare works to embrace diversity, prioritize inclusion, provide equitable opportunities, and offer an accessible experience for all. On CST's three stages at its home on Navy Pier, in classrooms and neighborhoods across the city, and in venues around the world, Chicago Shakespeare Theater is a multifaceted cultural hub—inviting audiences, artists, and community members to share powerful stories that connect and inspire. www.chicagoshakes.com.

Red Theater is thrilled to present its second show of the 23/24 season: Shakespeare’s HAMLET, directed by Jeff nominated director Wyatt Kent, running April 26 - May 19, 2024 at The Edge Off Broadway in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. The production features Ashley Fox as Hamlet, Robert Koon as Claudius, Kelly Dupree Levander as Gertrude, Julia Rowley as Ophelia, Zach Bloomfield as Polonius, Reggie Hemphill as Horatio, and Ian Maryfield as Laertes, with an ensemble featuring Harrison Lampert, Mary Townsend Cahoon, Josh Razavi, Tatiana Pavela, and Tulsi McDaniels. Understudies include Tess Galbiati, Craig Duff, Aimee Kleiman, RJ Cecott, Matty Schnitker, and Stephanie Neuerburg. Tickets sales launch in March - sign up for Red Theater’s newsletter at www.redtheater.org for early bird access. 

Comments Artistic Director Clare Brennan: “Our 23/24 production of Hamlet places Shakespeare’s classic tragedy in an intimate, in-the-round setting. We’re thrilled to have textual powerhouse Ashley Fox as our lead, around whom a knockout cast brings this story straight into the current day. Our design team features some of the finest conceptual talent on display in Chicago storefront theater, including Jeff Award nominees Rose Johnson and Sebby Woldt. This spring, we can’t wait to invite audiences to get up close and personal with your ghosts.” 

The production team includes Tessa Huber (Stage Manager), Sean William Kelly (Assistant Director), Junipero Cruz (Assistant Stage Manager), Rose Johnson (Scenic Design), Jamie Macpherson (Fight & Intimacy Design), Madeline Felauer (Costume Design), Derryll Lyall (Lighting Design), Sebby Woldt (Sound Design), Andy Cahoon (Technical Direction + Props Design), Meredith Ernst (Text Coach), Becca Holloway (Casting Director), and Clare Brennan (Producer). 

PRODUCTION DETAILS

Title: Hamlet

Playwright: William Shakespeare

Director: Wyatt Kent

Cast: Ashley Fox (Hamlet), Robert Koon (Claudius), Kelly Dupree Levander (Gertrude), Julia Rowley (Ophelia), Zach Bloomfield (Polonius), Reggie Hemphill (Horatio), Ian Maryfield (Laertes), Harrison Lampert (Rosencrantz et al.), Mary Townsend Cahoon (Guildenstern et al.), Josh Razavi (Gravedigger et al.), Tatiana Pavela (1st Player et al.), and Tulsi McDaniels (Osric et al.) 

Understudies: Tess Galbiati (U/s Hamlet / Guildenstern), Craig Duff (U/s Claudius / Polonius), Aimee Kleiman (U/s Gertrude et al.), RJ Cecott (U/s Laertes), Matty Schnitker (U/s Horatio et al.), and Stephanie Neuerburg (U/s Rosencrantz et al.).

Production Team: Tessa Huber (Stage Manager), Sean William Kelly (Assistant Director), Junipero Cruz (Assistant Stage Manager), Rose Johnson (Scenic Design), Jamie Macpherson (Fight & Intimacy Design), Madeline Felauer (Costume Design), Derryll Lyall (Lighting Design), Sebby Woldt (Sound Design), Andy Cahoon (Technical Direction + Props Design), Meredith Ernst (Text Coach), Becca Holloway (Casting Director), and Clare Brennan (Producer). 

Location: The Edge Off Broadway, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave, Chicago

Previews: Wed 4/24 & Thurs 4/25 @ 7:30P

Opening night: Friday, April 26th @ 7:30P

Run dates: Friday, April 26 - Sunday, May 19, 2024

Curtain times: Thursdays – Saturdays @ 7:30P, Sundays @ 3P; Mondays @ 7:30P, Wednesday 5/15 @ 7:30P

Tickets: Tickets sales launch in March - sign up for Red Theater's newsletter at www.redtheater.org for early bird access.

Before entering Invictus Theatre's storefront on Thorndale Avenue, you are asked for your vaccination card. But they may just as well have asked for your passport.

Once you pass through the curtains on your way to your seat, you know quickly “something is rotten in the state of Denmark." There’s a feeling of death—and grief—in the air. Kevin Rolfs’ bare, blood-red set consists of a single paneled wall. That, coupled with Chad Lussier's atmospheric soundscape, and the stark lighting, evokes a sense of dread. And within a brief three hours, this will indeed be the scene of a slaughterhouse.

Hamlet, considered by many to be Shakespeare’s best play, starts with a young man, Hamlet (Charles Askenaiser), being told by the ghost of his father that he was murdered. The ghost then demands Hamlet seek vengeance on his murderer.

Making things interesting is the fact that the murdered man was King of Demark. The murderer is the king’s brother, Claudius (Jospeh Beal) who two months after the crime married the king’s widow (Hamlet’s mother), and is now the reigning king—Hamlet's uncle-slash-step daddy. Still with me?

It’s enough to drive the heir to the throne mad, and as Hamlet goes about his task of vengeance, he causes collateral damage that suggests he just might indeed be mad. The mood swings of Hamlet are demanding. His emotional highs are quirky; his lows are disturbingly maudlin. Charles Askenaizer, as Hamlet, makes the most of every moment. I found myself looking into his eyes hoping for a clue as to his mental state.

Askenaizer, who also directed, sped up the pace of this Hamlet, and it works for the most part. While still clocking in at a little over three hours, fear not: the time flies by.

The supporting cast is strong and worked well as an ensemble. Barry Irving is a sincere Horatio. Joseph Beal as Claudius became ever more dastardly as the play progressed.

A special nod must go to the intimacy coach, Glenn Thompson. His orchestration of the scuffle between Hamlet and his mother Gertrude (Diane Sintich) must be seen. It looked as though she were giving birth all over again, only this time to a monster. 

There was something sweet in the chemistry between Laertes (Michael Lewis, excellent recently in “A Raisin In The Sun) and Ophelia (Ebby Offord). Certain scenes stood out for me and this was one of them. This begins their character arc and we are fully invested in them, though Lewis should take care not to let the background music overtake his melodic voice. And Offord if this is your debut, you have a bright future.

Darren Jones’ plays Polonius as an oily, pompous, hypocrite. That he would be the first to die by Hamlet’s hand is no wonder. A lot of comedy is lost because of the speed of delivery of Polonius’s lines. Another of my favorites scenes was Rosencrantz (Jack Morsovillo) and Guildenstern (Andrea Uppling) being questioned by Hamlet. Comedic timing by the three characters worked perfectly. Other excellent performances were offered by Robert Koon, Chuck Munro, Keenan Odenkirk and Maria Clara Ospina.

Isaac Jay Pineda's costumes were reminiscent of 1980's businessmen and women. The military characters wore fatigues with the Danish flag. Upon Laertes' return from France, you could tell he had done some shopping. Nice work! 

This excellent production of Hamlet by Invictus Theatre demonstrates yet again why Chicago storefront theatre is known throughout the country.

Hamlet at Invictus Theatre runs October 21 – November 21, 2021
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays 7:30 p.m., Sundays 3:00 p.m.
1106 W. Thorndale Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60660