Hamlet: The Macabre Cabaret from Red Mermaid Productions
 |
| Jordan Louis Fischer (Rosencrantz), Alec Seymour (Hamlet) and Kate McGarrigle (Ophelia) star in Red Mermaid's adaptation of the Melancholy Dane. |
How, then, to reinvigorate or reimagine the well-worn beats of the brooding Prince of Denmark? Red Mermaid Productions' ongoing exploration of Hamlet is certainly an interesting take, particularly for those who enjoy alternate views on the text.
The production this reviewer saw for Halloween 2018 at the historic Stonewall Inn in New York City, pared down the production to Hamlet, Gertrude, Claudius, Polonius, Ophelia and Rosencrantz: a small, tight cast perfect for the shortened run-time. Taking advantage of the upstairs cabaret area, the King and Queen were seated to the side, roped-off VIP style, while a table and chair - with plenty of alcohol and pain relievers - were Hamlet's stoop of choice, topped by the cabaret stage where Rosencrantz and occasionally Ophelia serenaded the audience with reimagined Medieval pop songs that enlightened the action of the stage.
The mixing of old world and new was a smart invention. And the space was used effectively, occasionally bringing the action into the audience proper: with Ophelia serving drinks, or Hamlet delivering his soliloquies among the people. Rosencrantz' Medieval songs were the highlight of the show, particularly as delivered by the captivating and commanding Jordan Louis Fischer, and arranged by Eduardo Palacios.
Unfortunately, the verse work fell a little flat, particularly from Hamlet himself. Certain famous lines were paraphrased: a no-no when it comes to one of the most well-known texts in all of Western canon. Similarly, some of the cutting left me wondering why Claudius and Polonius were necessary in this version of the script at all.
However, if you're seeing Red Mermaid's Hamlet, you're probably not here for the verse work, so much as you've come to see a wildly new take on the old tale.
In that case, you're in for a good night. Ophelia, played with fire by Kate McGarrigle, was a fully realized character under the direction of Sheila Morgan (Director & Producer). Mike Durell as Polonius and Glenn Stoops as Claudius were solid in their roles. Jordan Louis Fischer as the chanteuse Rosencrantz was easily the stand-out of the ensemble, being most truly in the moment and layering each of his lines with oceans of subtle subtext.As Hamlet, Alec Seymour shone more in his non-verbal bull-in-a-tiny-bar attitude than in command over the language. While Alexandra Cremer as Gertrude had a poignant last moment with her son which showed true vulnerability - and which was a relationship that I would love to see explore even more in Red Mermaid's next incarnation of the text.
As dramaturg, director Morgan has a unique take on the story of family squabbles. While typically, this reviewer prefers a Hamlet who's merely putting on an antic disposition, Morgan made a compelling case for a Hamlet who's truly becoming unhinged. Her vision of the ghost as hallucinogen, brought on by too much substance abuse by a grieving prince, worked beautifully. And she even cut the show short to end on one of Gertrude's often overlooked lines, that worked as a haunting grace note to the evening's presentation of the effects of loss on a fragile psyche.
As mentioned, if anything, I'd love to see Morgan take this concept even further: perhaps doing a four person cast with Hamlet and those closest to him as he falls apart.
While no upcoming dates have yet been announced for the next incarnation of the Macabre Cabaret, you can follow Morgan on Twitter to get the latest updates.
Read Reviews of Other Classical NYC Takes on Hamlet
Comments
Post a Comment