HAMLET

by William Shakespeare

Directed by Birgit Schreyer Duarte

Shakespeare in High Park, Canadian Stage, Toronto

June 30 - Sept 3, 2016

"the most satisfying tragedy Shakespeare in High Park has done (digitaljournal)

"Triumphant” (NOW)

“Frank Cox-O'Connell's powerful, fiery turn as the ill-fated Danish Prince is absolutely captivating... It may have taken 34 years for Hamlet to appear in the park, but this production was worth the wait." NNNN (NOW)

"illuminating...excellent storytelling...ingenious editing of text... [Cox-O'Connell] gives the best lead performance I have seen in the park" (National Post)

Cast

Hamlet Frank Cox-O’Connell. Claudius Alon Nashman. Gertrud Rachel Jones. Ophelia Rose Tuong. Laertes Kaleb Alexander. Polonius Nicky Guadagni. Horatio Qasim Khan. Doctor Rosencrantz / as cast Raechel Fisher. Player Queen / Cornelius Marvin Ishmael. Player King / as cast Kyle McWatters. Fortinbras / as cast Mina James.

CREATIVE TEAM

Set Teresa Przybylski. Costumes Michelle Tracey. Lighting Oz Weaver. Sound Lyon Smith. Assistant Director David di Giovanni. Video Zack Russell. Original Composition Simone Colavecchi. Musical Coaching Vaira Gertners, Choreography Tiferet Nashman. Stage Managers Laura Baxter, Sandy Plunkett. Assistant Stage Manager Victoria Wang. Photography Cylla von Tiedemann.

Director’s NoteS

Hamlet inspired me to explore the many subjective perspectives within a family reacting to mental instability. What makes Shakespeare’s plays so deliciously complicated and modern are their countless ambiguities—nothing is what it seems, nothing is clear-cut. Hamlet is often played as the sensitive son who rightfully rebels against his misguided parents and the rotten court; the Queen is often shown as either ruthless or weak, or caught in an Oedipal relationship with Hamlet; Claudius, as the ultimate villain. We think we know where we stand and whom to vouch for. But what if King and Queen really were a dream couple and in love, not only in lust and power hungry? In underlining how subjective human experiences are I want to challenge familiar vantage points: Can we show a court world that suggests a “healthy normalcy”, yet born from an act of violence? And how does this render Hamlet instead as unstable, as “out of joint”? I invite you to view this play considering Hamlet’s own words: “For there is nothing / either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Birgit Schreyer Duarte