Past issues
Feeds
The Paper in print
Twitter
Facebook
Contact
Email updates Twitter Facebook RSS Feeds
Half the fun of a Heights Players’ production is a look at the program. Such a talented group of New York actors manage to find their way to the company’s auditions. Indeed, it’s the cast that makes this new production of “Hamlet” worth a trip to Willow Street.
Brian Richards as the not-so-great Dane brings the melancholy intelligence, energy, humor and pitch blackness of the title character to life. Richards remained psychologically true to the character as he grappled with grief, betrayal, revenge, incest, anger and love (you know the story), enacting Shakespeare’s poetry and punditry with great energy and dynamic lyricism.
Energy, expressivity and narrative clarity were obviously director Robert Weinstein’s M.O. for this production. His modern-dress “Hamlet” opens with a tone poem of sorts as the actors recite the words “to be or not to be” in a roundelay, a fitting start to a production that strives to make this brilliant drama accessible — and memorable — to all.
The cast is uniformly excellent. Raven Pease is very good as a delicate and enchanting Ophelia, and Emily Taplin Boyd is a very stylish Gertrude.
The set, designed by Gerry Newman, manages to evoke a dark winter night and the interior of the castle with simplicity and versatility.
“Hamlet” at the Heights Players [26 Willow Pl. between State and Joralemon streets in Brooklyn Heights, (718) 237-2752], now through March 20. Tickets $15, $13 for seniors and children. For info, visit www.heightsplayers.org.
©2011 Community Newspaper Group
By submitting this comment, you agree to the following terms:
You agree that you, and not BrooklynPaper.com or its affiliates, are fully responsible for the content that you post. You agree not to post any abusive, obscene, vulgar, slanderous, hateful, threatening or sexually-oriented material or any material that may violate applicable law; doing so may lead to the removal of your post and to your being permanently banned from posting to the site. You grant to BrooklynPaper.com the royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual and fully sublicensable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display such content in whole or in part world-wide and to incorporate it in other works in any form, media or technology now known or later developed.
Print this story
Digg this
Del.icio.us