Classic Shakespeare made trendy

Those who wish to freshen up Shakespeare’s most renowned tragedy for Bloomington audiences are faced with quite a challenge. IU’s solution? Style and sexiness.

“Hamlet” offers both at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre.

In this production, all but the dialogue is reshaped to fit the present, and even that is not entirely unaltered; these familiar lines contain the shrewdness exuded by the entire cast under Murray McGibbon’s direction.

The show is a cunning one.

In his first scene, Prince Hamlet of Denmark, played by graduate student Harper Jones, is eclipsed by his uncle and new king, the charismatic Claudius, played by senior Josh Hambrock.

After an initial warm-up period, however, Jones manages to display a well-developed psyche that ranges from melancholy to misogynist. Tasked by the spirit of his murdered father to claim vengeance and regain his crown, Hamlet makes every attempt to reveal Claudius as a traitor. Claudius retaliates and, as is usually the case with Shakespeare, rival plots lead to the wreckage of all.

“Hamlet” boasts several notable performances, including Hambrock, whose Claudius is more powerful than aristocrat but no less scheming.

Doctoral student Bethany Barber plays Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, who is likewise appropriate for her role. In this world, European royalty becomes the tennis-playing, party-hosting yuppie caste of America.

And while the humor here is played with more gusto than the sorrow, the realm of the rich and supposedly carefree is proven to be a dark place. Doctoral student Neal Utterback throws some light on such scenes with his delightful portrayal of Polonius.

The costumes designed by Linda Pisano, associate professor of costume design, are
instrumental in achieving a sense of modern times and appear to be ordered straight from Dolce and Gabbana or pulled from an American Eagle shelf. The only hint of classical Elizabethan clothing is during the tongue-in-cheek play put on by a touring acting company, which in itself is a highlight of the entire show.

The scenic designs by Fred M. Duer, consisting primarily of two adjustable staircases, work in tandem with graduate student Cynthia Murphy’s lighting, which is enthusiastically showcased in everything from a stained-glass window to the enormous, projected head of the ghost of Hamlet’s father.

The latter, however, results in inconsistent responses. With the black-and-white graininess of an ancient film reel, the ghost ends up looking like something seen halfway through Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride rather than a device for theatrical enhancement.

IU takes a chic approach to a vintage script and emerges with a new fashion. For Shakespeare admirers, to go or not to go should not even be a question.