Twenty-six-year-old Lucas Hall, who wowed San Diego audiences as the young publisher in “The Violet Hour” last season, heads an unequally gifted company as Hamlet in The Old Globe Shakespeare Festival. Festival artistic director Darko Tresnjak, who returns for his fourth year in the position, stages the tragedy.
In inimitable and signature fashion, Tresnjak ends “Hamlet” with a stunning image that will linger in memory for as long as memory lasts. Some may find the image jarring but it brings tears to one’s eyes nonetheless. Those in the former group might chalk it up to overkill and argue that Horatio’s speech (“Good Night Sweet Prince”) should suffice.
The truly splendid theatrical event of the evening is Hall, nimble of feet and facile of tongue. “Hamlet” is rife with familiar speeches. Unhurried and easily understood, Hall delivers each in surprising fashion, varying his vocal and dramatic delivery to make them uniquely his.
Physically attractive and compact, he possesses articulate feet that allow him to turn on a dime, curls to charm a snake and arms to enchant heaven or hell as the case may be.
Celeste Ciulla presents a sympathetic portrayal of Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude. There is no doubt she loves her son. Widowed when her kingly husband was murdered, she immediately wed his brother, Hamlet’s uncle Claudius (Bruce Turk). Ciulla is remembered for her embodiment of evil as Tamora in Tres-njak’s production of “Titus Andronicus” and as evil’s opposite in the character of Emilia in “Othello” last summer. Gertrude exists in the territory between.
As is often the case, the excellent Turk “” outrageously funny as Antipholus of Ephesus last summer “” portrays both Claudius and the Ghost of Hamlet’s Father. One could almost believe this oily character as he proclaims his love for the grief-stricken Hamlet.
Award-winning festival veteran Charles Janasz plays Polonius, a courtier long on platitudes (“Neither a borrower nor a lender be”¦”) to his children, Ophelia (Joy Farmer-Clary) and Laertes (Corey Sorenson). Janasz is endearing and pitch perfect physically and vocally.
Ryan Quinn plays Hamlet’s true friend, Horatio. Chip Brookes and Nathaniel McIntyre portray classmates Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, former Wittenberg classmates of Hamlet’s who are brought to Denmark to spy on Hamlet when Claudius and Polonius think he’s gone crazy. It’s actually more obsession than insanity: the Ghost of Hamlet’s Father has charged Hamlet to avenge his murder. Ophelia is the one that loses touch with reality as the tragedy unfolds, and Hamlet is so obsessed with revenge that he declares he no longer loves her.
Globe associate artist Jonathan McMurtry, who turned 70 on opening night (June 30) and has played more than 200 roles on Globe stages, played the 1st Gravedigger.
Unfortunately, not everyone in the company has equal depth and experience, but ’twas ever thus.
The attractive and supportive production design rests in the firm hands of associate artists Ralph Funicello and Robert Morgan. Funicello has moved the set forward physically, giving it a more Elizabethan feel. The reduction in size engenders a feeling of intimacy, and his use of draperies, mirrors, lighting fixtures and opaque glass is interesting and mood-setting.
Morgan’s attractive Elizabethan costumes feature ruffs, farthingales for the ladies and, in the case of Claudius, fetching black boots. Morgan’s contrasting outfits for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern elicit laughter and immediately set character. York Kennedy’s lighting scheme is exemplary and many words of praise are in order for Christopher R. Walker’s sound design and original music. Microphones exist but so subtly that one questions their presence.
“Hamlet” continues at 8 p.m. nightly except Monday through Sept. 30, in rotating repertory with “Measure for Measure” and “Two Gentlemen of Verona” in the outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre of The Old Globe, 1361 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park, San Diego. For information, repertory schedule and tickets, call (619) 23-GLOBE or visit www.theoldglobe.org.
