Live Theater Review: Hamlet at Marin Shakespeare Company - by Alexa Chipman

May 30, 2018

A successful

Nate Currier (Hamlet) describes how “For the past couple months hordes of people have tried to tell me who Hamlet is.” He shakes free of the burden in a genuine, youthful expression of Hamlet’s woes, with natural reactions to news of his uncle’s deceit, casual jokes with friends, and a gentle warning to Ophelia that he is not worth her time. He pleads, rather than commands her “get thee to a nunnery” to save her from the pain of his downward spiraling conspiracy.

Robert S. Currier’s direction emphasizes unbreakable connections of family and includes unique uses for the playbill. The chemistry between Ophelia (Talia Friedenberg), Laertes (Hunter Scott MacNair), and their father Polonius (Steven Price) is a highlight of this production. Their sacrificial love for each other is gradually undermined through misfortune and tribulations, rushed on by Hamlet’s fate, leaving him as the unwitting cause of the family’s demise.

Blue and teal lighting design by April George plays off Jackson Currier’s industrial scenic design of metal pipes and neutral accents. Billie Cox’s sound design of ghostly tremors echoes into an eerie setting for the play. Using color to denote allegiances, such as gray and lavender for the royals, Tammy Berlin’s costumes draw on contemporary lines, predominantly to elegant effect.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are confusing in attire and do not have the vitality of other supporting characters, whereas Gravedigger (Barry Kraft) is amusing and engaging in his brief appearance, exchanging clever barbs with Hamlet over precise phrase definitions, while scattering skulls across the stage. Richard Pallaziol’s fight choreography is light and fast, with dramatic dual wielding rapiers in addition to the usual Florentine style with a parrying dagger.

Marin Shakespeare’s Hamlet is perceptive and honest, focusing on the humanity of Shakespeare’s writing and the significance of relationships between parents and children, with a sensational performance by Nate Currier as Hamlet.

Hamlet

Presented by Marin Shakespeare Company through July 8, 2018 Thurs/Fri/Sat at 8:00 pm, Sun at 4:00 pm

Marin Shakespeare Company Forest Meadows Amphitheatre 890 Belle Ave, San Rafael, 94901 (415) 499-4488 www.marinshakespeare.org

Alexa Chipman is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle and Marquee Theater Journalists Association with a B.F.A. in Digital Art from Dominican University of California. She has danced with Peninsula Ballet Theatre, Marin Ballet, and Marin Dance Theatre and has appeared in local theater such as the Fringe of Marin Festival. She has a background in voice acting for audio drama, graphic design, and writing Young Adult fiction.