There is nothing like being in Central Park for the annual Shakespeare in the Park plays, and seeing this year’s production of Hamlet, by director Kenny Leon was a treat. This version of Hamlet turns Shakespeare on its head with modern costuming, set, themes, original music, and a diverse cast. The refreshing take on a classic play with some excellent performances gave new life to what most of the audience had seen before, but also posed questions as to the meaning and purpose of the modern nuances.
Before Hamlet begins, the audience sees the perplexing set, partially familiar to those who saw Kenny Leon’s previous production of Much Ado About Nothing. This Hamlet set is a destroyed variation of the earlier set, with a leaning flagpole, damaged exterior of a house and a car that crashed into a body of water. There is also a partially obstructed, large, torn, Stacey Abrams 2020 campaign sign. If anyone was not familiar with these set items, you wondered about their relevance. But these strange parts of the set began to blend into the play as it went on, because they fit with the themes of government corruption and destruction woven throughout the play.
To lighten the natural intensity of Hamlet, the production relies on frequent musical interludes with songs and dancing, which the audience appreciated. The tone is set in the first scene with an a capella performance by a group of men before a funeral. From then on, there are songs as well as rap performances that pop up throughout with colorful costumes punctuating the entertainment.
Some of the notable performances included Daniel Pearce, as Polonius, whose performance provided stellar, comic relief, and John Douglas Thompson, as Claudius, who gave a strong, powerful performance, demonstrating his versatility. I was familiar with his television role in the limited series, “Mare of Eastown,” where he played a police chief. His stage presence in Hamlet was impressive and showed his acting prowess.
Ato Blankson-Wood, as Hamlet held his own in this difficult and challenging role, and enunciated and filled the vast outdoor stage with crisp and clear lines. The rest of the cast supported the lead actors quite well and added their vocal skills throughout.
There are some surprises in the production that keep it fresh, and a good deal of the dialogue is cut or reshaped, making you sometimes forget you are watching Hamlet, until one of the familiar monologues or lines are spoken. Still, I applaud the Herculean task undertaken by Kenny Leon to bring this creative production of Hamlet to life. It is a wonderful way to introduce young people to Shakespeare, or anyone who has never seen a production of it.
Leon explained the background of Hamlet in a letter to supporters. “In 2019, I directed Much Ado About Nothing for Free Shakespeare in the Park, which was a leadup to the 2020 election, both in the play and in real time. Our Hamlet is a companion piece set in 2021, reimagining Shakespeare’s tragedy as a prism for the very real anger and disillusionment felt by youth in the aftermath of a divisive presidential election, COVID-19 lockdowns, and racial awakening.”
I highly recommend that you try to get tickets to this production before its limited run ends on August 6th. Also, The Delacorte Theater will undergo renovations beginning in the fall of 2023 and will not re-open until the summer of 2025 – so be sure to get tickets to Hamlet now. There are a variety of ways to get free tickets, so check out the website for more information.
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