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I have seen The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, in every art form except opera or dance. Director Robert Lepage and choreographer Guillaume Côté have adapted Shakespeare into the universal medium of dance, with amazing production values and killer music composed by John Gzowski. Dance is a universal medium that everyone can enjoy and sometimes participate in. On my way to the Harris Theater for this performance, I went through the crowd for the annual Festival of Lights on Michigan Avenue and saw the official Chicago Christmas tree in Millennium Park. Saturday was a magical night for the US premiere of The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.
Guillaume Côté was the principal dancer for the National Ballet of Canada and a choreographer and dancer for some of the world's most esteemed companies. Robert Lepage is the artistic director for Ex Machina Theatre Company and is known for producing multidisciplinary work. Their collaboration has resulted in a Hamlet that is unlike anything I have seen in many years of attending dance performances. Lepage is also the production designer and has created stunning visuals to move the story of the volatile Prince of Denmark. "Melancholy Dane" doesn't cut it for Côté's tornadic performance as Hamlet.
This Hamlet is beyond mere melancholy; he is pissed off at the world. The performance opens with Côté rolling a chair on its side to an upright position and then depositing himself in it. If you don't know the story, Hamlet's father has just been murdered, and not only has Hamlet's uncle Claudius usurped the throne that should be his, but he has also married his freshly widowed mother. Hamlet sits outside the happy celebration, wondering 'what just happened?'
The choreography expresses deep grief and fury with rapid cutting movements and athleticism. The reception guests dance in formations resembling etchings of late 16th-century dancing. The formations blend jigs and linked arms, similar to components of square dancing (Yes, I went to dance school decades ago). The assembled dancers are based in Canada and come from a varied background of international acclaim.
Greta Hodgkinson's Gertrude has sizzling chemistry with Robert Glumbek's Claudius. Their characters were more than likely adulterous and schemed the murder of Hamlet's father together. The joyous and intimate dancing is peppered with intimate embraces between the two, and several goblets of wine are drained.
Carleen Zouboules is stunning as the ill-fated Ophelia. The choreography is very modern, with sweeping movements and bodies entangled. Zouboules shows Ophelia's fragility with small movements and fraught facial expressions. In a brilliant move of nontraditional casting, Horatio is played by Natasha Poon Woo. As Hamlet's only true friend, Horatio must defend him and have his back. Woo's androgynous portrayal provides another layer of intrigue to Hamlet. The Prince of Denmark has other things on his mind, but we only see his love through his grief after she drowns herself.
Connor Mitton and Willem Sadler play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, respectively. The duo provides comic relief in their role spying on Hamlet for Claudius. They are nimble actors as highwaymen gone askew. Lucas Malkowski is riveting as Ophelia's brother Laertes. Malkowski has the most contemporary movements infused with a breakdancing style. The battle between Hamlet and Laertes is phenomenal, and it had my heart pounding even though I knew how it all turns out. Etienne Lavigne plays a strong Polonius but is mostly relegated as a side character and does not get as much stage time.
Lepage's design is as much a character in Hamlet as the human roles. The use of color is brilliant. A red curtain resembles waves of blood as the characters run in front of or hide behind it. The tomb scene with Hamlet's father's ghost is creepy. An ethereal white light and shroud cover the body (Lukas Malkowski). The ghost's shadow demonstrates how Claudius poured poison into his rival's ear. Watching the body of Hamlet's father in seizures as he dies is worthy of a horror film.
The drowning of Ophelia was astonishing to watch. An undulating ocean-blue fabric was pulled across the stage. Ophelia is lifted and tossed before being swallowed in the swath of blue. That scene got applause on its own. The technical aspects of this production are smooth and inventive. Simon Rossiter's lighting design balances ochre, red, and illuminated black. The lighting also creates shadows that grow and become more sinister. It has been used in modern puppetry and works here in this interdisciplinary production. Michael Gianfrancesco's costume design blends elaborate embroidery of the Renaissance period with utilitarian attire. Ophelia's fragility is emphasized by her beautiful sheer coral gown. She is a spectral presence before drowning herself.
The music is a key element in keeping The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, fresh and original over five centuries. John Gzowski's score is a blend of electronica and classical with mixed sound effects. When Claudius and Gertrude are on stage, the sound of a rainstick plays. According to NASA, the rainstick is an Indigenous instrument made to summon the rain for plentiful crops. I do not know Gzowski's intent, but my mind went to Claudius and Gertrude, hoping for a fruitful, profitable relationship. With the strings accompaniment, it sounded more like glass shattering, which is brilliant and more apropos of the illicit union.
Supertitles were used to introduce the characters. It was intentionally or unintentionally funny with phrases like "A Queen enters" or "Words" becoming "Sword." It was a good device, but I wish it had been in a better font. I think it was Helios Gothic, which is even more bothersome in white on a black background.
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, was staged by ShowOne Productions on November 23-24 at the Harris Theater. I highly recommend seeing the LePage/ Côté production if you have the opportunity in the future. It is a unique and exciting thriller, unlike a traditional Shakespearean tragedy. The physicality was more interesting to me than actors voicing their moods through soliloquy or angst. Thanks to our Canadian friends for sharing such a wonderful production with Chicago.
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