Shakespeare done right - with joy and passion

The cast heeded the speech from Act III, scene ii - lines were spoken trippingly on the tongue, allowing their discretion to be their tutor, suiting the word to the action and the action to the word.

Often the biggest hurdle to playing Shakespeare is the attempt to conquer the script and bend it to the production's will - this 'Hamlet' chose instead to stick with the gal it came in with. Shakespeare's text does so much for the drama and raises the stakes without needing to be performed with any great rending of garments. Every moment of passion in this production was earned by the great attention to the story and the text that was already present. Director Matt Sciple says in the program that 'Hamlet' takes place "in the breath exchanged between this audience and these actors, in this very theater, here, today." This viewpoint allows for such great warmth and depth of understanding between the audience and humanity within the play.

Hamlet (Clarence Wethern) is driven and determined, equally menacing with rapier, dagger and fife. The text so eloquently and subtly makes his dilemma ours, and his performance bears out in heartbreaking fashion. We are offered a rarely seen gimmick-free Hamlet, and the depth and nuance goes as far as the audience's imagination can take it. The performance of the title role makes us question what Hamlet knows and what he is guessing at - we are given several crucial moments of clear decision and action withheld from the other characters in the play.

If you're looking for a reason to see this show, let it be for the joy of sharing a rare theatrical experience- Shakespeare without an agenda!