SHAKESPEARE is my Homeboy

Shakespeare on Film and Stage

What You Will (Twelfth Night)
Royal Shakespeare Company, Barbican Theatre
April 1995. directed by Ian Judge

A very subtle production which highlighted the ambiguous sexuality inherent in the characters relationships. The production was set in Elizabethan Stratford. For me, this was distracting, and not at all what many other productions conceive as a "paradise" of Illyria.
Despite this slight distraction, it was an absolutely spectacular set. The tempest scene (I.ii) was used to open the production, and was particularly beautiful, complete with lightning and rolling silk waves.

Viola (Emma Fieldings) was played with quiet sincerity. A wonderful Feste was cast against type with an easy charm and off-beat humor. Not an overplayed, energetic clown, but very effective and charming. Ultimately, the audience feels great sympathy at the end for Malvolio and Antonio, (whose homosexuality is evident), and for Feste, who is thrown out at the end for his trick on Malvolio, creating a very bittersweet, poignant
conclusion. Malvolio was was wonderfully performed as an overweight, snobby servant was utterly unlikable. The most comical performance was given by Sir Andrew Aguecheek, as the lovable old dolt.

Hamlet
The Peter Hall Company, The Gielgud Theatre
April 1995, directed by Peter Hall

This "complete" Hamlet (the unedited version of the text) a four hour production, was painful to sit through. I would describe the evening as unmemorable, drawn out and disappointing. After sitting through the entire Hamlet, I was too exhausted to care about him and his demise. Note to self: don't ever attempt to stage a complete, unedited version of Hamlet, if you want to please your audience.

Regarding the performers, both Stephen Dillane (Hamlet) and Gina Bellman (Ophelia) were giving their first performance in a production of Shakespeare. Dillane had too much of an attitude and not enough passion. He was ultimately uncharasmastic, as he tried to play aloof and insane. His whole "antic disposition" came off as unmotivated, and as a sort of "slacker" Hamlet. Bellman played Ophelia with a screechy, sing-songy voice that was unbearable. Most notable was Donald Sinden's Polonius who showed us the strong, scheming father, but also the lovable, overprotecting fool. I was looking forward to Michael Pennington's performance as Claudius and the Ghost. Ultimately his perfomance in both roles were unmemorable. He underplayed the dramatic, haunting possibilities for the ghost. His Claudius was detached from Hamlet, Gertrude and the Court. Ultimately, I understood why Hamlet disliked him so much, but wondered why would Gertrude marry such an unlikable man.

Love's Labour's Lost
Royal Shakespeare Company
Barbican Theatre, Directed by Ian Judge
Spring 1995

Love's Labour's Lost is alone as one of the only play of Shakespeare which seems not to have a historical precident. Scholars have not been able to identify a source which Shakespeare may have turned to for this story. This is a play which explores the transition from youth to adulthood, and the difficulties of an uncertain future. Set in Edwardian Oxford, Judge's production is an exquitely beautiful production. This was a very serious, thoughtful comedy. The traditional "happy ending" delayed by the onslaught of World War I, which is looming in the back of our minds, works wonderfully well.

Berowne (Richard Garnett) was played with confidence and an easygoing charm. Memorable comic performances from Daniel Massey as Armando, and Mark Lewis Jones as Costard. What stands out most in this production, however, are the beautiful production elements (sets designed by John Gunter, costumes designed by Deidre Clancy, and lighting designed by Alan Burrett) which help to perfectly compliment Shakespeare's very rich dialogue, and witty comedy.

Documentary: Discovering Hamlet. dir. Mark Olshaker. Unicorn Projects, 1990.

An Inside Look at the theatrical process, and an introduction to one of Shakespeare's most famous plays

This documentary is one of the best and most engaging introductions to Shakespeare's Hamlet, as well as the process of theatre, that I've ever seen. I believe that this is an ideal video for students of all levels to see the relationship between the page and the stage. The video takes an inside look at the 1990 Renaissance Theatre Company production of Hamlet, directed by Derek Jacobi and starring Kenneth Branagh. The film chronicles the rehearsal process from beginning to end, and also interviews the actors about the interpretations of their various roles. Sadly, in this film, the character whose motivations are explored the least is the most difficult character to understand - Hamlet himself.

Some character interpretations are rather traditional, such as the charming Claudius, played by Richard Easton. Other roles, such as Edward Jewesbury's Polonius are interpreted more inventively. Polonius is often played as a doddering, lovable old buffoon, but in Jacobi's production he is played as a cold and unlovable man, whose role as statesman comes first, and role as father to Laertes and Ophelia becomes a "distant" second. In an interview, Jewesbury describes his interpretation of Polonius' relationship to his children as responsibility, rather than affection.

At one point in the film, Branagh discusses one of his major struggles in the rehearsal process to balance Hamlet's two greatest motivations stirring him to action - not only revenge for his father, but disgust and anger toward his mother's behavior. Gertrude, played by Dearbhla Molloy, gives interesting insight into her role. Molloy describes how she struggled most with her conflict between her feelings for Hamlet and Claudius. Although she is silent in the closet scene for much of Hamlet's ranting, Molloy struggles to show how Gertrude feels both appalled by her own behavior, and also defensive against Hamlet's accusations.

One unique interpretation in this particular production was Jacobi's decision to have Hamlet recite the famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy as a speech to Ophelia, played by Sophie Thompson. Jacobi's choice creates a genuine intimate moment between the two, in which Hamlet shares his thoughts of suicide. I found this to be an effective choice which links the idea of suicide between the two characters. Jacobi describes how, in his production, Hamlet's speech may lead Ophelia to her own decision to commit suicide later in the play.

This film shows the intricacies and difficulties of the rehearsal process from an insider's perspective. For example, Molloy describes a choice she had made in rehearsing the final scene of the play. She had decided that Gertrude consciously chose to drink the poisoned cup, knowing that it would lead to her death, over remorse and guilt over all that happened. (Yet, how would she have known the cup was poisoned? This left me baffled.) Molloy found Jacobi cool to her idea, and felt that her choice took away from the sympathy for her death, so Molloy agreed to change this moment in her performance. This brief story, described by such a gifted actress, is a wonderful example for the viewer of the "give and take" that is so difficult and essential in the creative process.

For me, this film is interesting on many levels - not only for the student of Hamlet. For me, this film also pointed out the very difficult job that a theatre director has communicating with actors. Derek Jacobi is a brilliant and well-respected actor. However, as a director, he fell into the trap of many actor-turned-director. Throughout the rehearsal process, we see him often telling the actors exactly how to say the line, (often called "line readings"). Coming from Jacobi, it is hard to object. But I would caution young aspiring directors that this approach will often create resentment, frustration and difficulty working with a professional actor. One of the most difficult challenges for a director is to communicate with his actors in a way that does not inhibit creativity and autonomy in performance. This film excellently portrays the struggles of communication during the creative process.