 "Photo: Johnesia Sims / For The South End")
Wayne State’s Hilberry Repertory Theatre Company performed William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” directed by Blair Anderson, superbly on Oct. 24. Actors included James Kuhl as Hamlet, Christina Flynn as Ophelia, Aaron Kirby as Horatio, Brian P. Sage as Claudius, Dylan Stuckey as Rosencrantz, Rob Pantano as Guildenstern and Caroline Price as Gertrude.
“Hamlet” began with the titular prince returning home from college to find that his uncle married his father’s widow. He then saw the ghost of his father, who told the prince that he was murdered by his brother Claudius and that Hamlet needed to avenge him.
Hamlet was determined to obey his father’s wishes, but his emotions took over. They ranged from depression to supposed madness. Hamlet’s mother and uncle/step-father became concerned and asked Hamlet’s friends (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern) to keep an eye on him. Hamlet even grew apart from his love interest Ophelia and friend Horatio.
The story was interesting, entertaining and interpreting the story line was easy. The script was almost, if not completely, identical to the original version.
All of the actors played their parts well and successfully conveyed their characters’ emotions. Their deliveries were believable and they did not stumble over a single line.
Of all the production’s actors, Kuhl stood out. There was always emotion and articulation in his voice that made him sound believable. His gestures and body movement were also on point. Flynn also did a magnificent job. She had a beautiful voice, which added to her realistic portrayal of Ophelia. I did not have trouble hearing any of the actors.
The set was particularly interesting, although there weren’t many variations as the locations changed. Changing the sets would have been beneficial to the play, but that lack of variety did not subtract from the qualities of the story or performances at all.
The right mood and time period were established. Green lights were used to illuminate the ghost, though white or yellow instead would have been a better choice. There was not much music or sound effects, but the little that was used added more drama to the play.
I, along with the other audience members, was very attentive and into the action since the actors kept us all interested and on the edges of our seats.
Having read the play in high school, I could remember many of the lines, especially the longer speeches. I was very pleased with the delivery of the “To Be or Not to Be” soliloquy given by Hamlet. It was how I pictured it being performed on stage.
Overall, I had no complaints with the actors or play. I would have preferred more variety within the set, but it was still beautiful and looked like someone put a lot of effort into it. Besides, the actors used what they had and made the best of it.
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