The Immersive Production of Hamlet

Katerina Bland

Prof Nicole Peters

ENGL 297 A

4/30/18

MP2

        The immersive Production of Hamlet offered an exciting adaption of the original rendition of Hamlet. It had approximately 40 audience members that were allowed to attend at a time. Groups of 20 were split up and given an invitation to either a wedding or a funeral. Both groups were then guided on parallel journeys throughout the house. Every scene took place in a different room of the house. As one group was watching a scene, another group would have that same scene enacted in a different room. Its character portrayal, gender swaps, and stylistic decisions made differentiating the two versions lead to new interpretations of characters and gender roles, as well as highlight specific character traits. By swapping genders it revealed different character traits, which in turn influenced the overall perception of the play. Stylistic decisions, such as choosing to show the ghost on stage, further highlighted scenes and directed viewers toward a unique interpretation of Hamlet. The immersive version of Hamlet, in comparison to the original Hamlet, expressed a more dramatic, crazy and impulsive version of Hamlet, this character rendition enhanced his insanity.

        The play had two different actors play a single character, who would either enact the same scene apart or together. This highlighted different traits about each character, as well as enhanced certain lines, in the way the dialogue was presented. In some scenes the two actors playing the same characters would state the same lines at the same time. For example in the “To be or not to be” famous speech the two hamlets interchange dialogue. By making the choice of having two actors play the same character, it added another level to the overall play. Not only did the play have two actors play a single character, but it also gender swapped the intended gender the character was meant to be played by. For instance, a woman and a man both played the character Hamlet. Ophelia also had a man and a woman playing her. Both Hamlets presented their character in a different way. One Hamlet, the woman, acted out the hot headed, passionate, enraged hamlet, while the other, acted out a brooding, and stoic Hamlet. Throughout the immersive Hamlet, the female version of Hamlet is very dramatic and expressive. Her presentation of self is so dramatic at times it comes off comedic. The female version of Hamlet portrayed Hamlet as pompous, and arrogant in her rendition of him. For example, one specific scene that stands out to me is when Hamlet and Polonius have a conversation. The actor as she was reciting lines starts doing push-ups and crab shuffles around the room. Watching this scene unfold is comedic and enhances Hamlet’s madness. She also acts impulsively throughout the play, such as when she kisses Claudius before leaving the room. This did not happen in the original version of Hamlet, but it is included in the play. By doing so, it serves as an exaggerated rendition of Hamlets character, which highlights his dramatic antics and hot headedness. This is an important differentiation that the immersive Hamlet portrays because it enhances his insanity.

        The two actors playing a single character differentiate in the number of lines they have and how they enact them. This enhances traits about specific characters, such as their personalities and intentions. For instance, tt becomes apparent from scene to scene that the male version of Ophelia performs more lines than the female Ophelia. In the scene where Hamlet tells Ophelia to off herself to a nunnery, the female Ophelia refuses to perform her lines. The male version of Ophelia steps in and tells the female version to let him take over. It is interesting the play makes the decision to does this, as once the male Ophelia takes the female Ophelia’s place, the male version of hamlet begins aggressively reciting “get thee to a nunnery.” As this is happening a parallel performance of the same scene is occurring near by. But instead, as the female version of hamlet and Ophelia are there, Hamlet is comforting Ophelia. This is a pivotal choice made by the immersive version because it expresses the relationship Hamlet holds with Ophelia. He is sending her away, yelling at her, and being violent in one version of the lines being recited, but on the other hand, the other version of him is embracing Ophelia and expressing admiration for her.  This character portrayal causes audience members to create their own interpretation of Ophelia and Hamlet’s relationship. In the original Hamlet, their relationship can either be viewed as Hamlet holding no feelings towards Ophelia, or Hamlet actually having feelings but refusing to express them. During that same scene, the male version of Ophelia, and the female version of Hamlet begin passionately kissing in front of the audience, while the male version of Hamlet and female version of Ophelia, sit on a bench behind them reciting lines to each other.  By presenting this scene in two ways, it allows the audience members to create their own interpretation of Ophelia’s relationship and Hamlet’s inner thoughts and intentions. Hamlet appears to care and have feelings for Ophelia on one hand, but on the other wants nothing to do with her and is trying to send her away. This highlights Hamlet’s complicated relationship and the inner conflict he has regarding Ophelia.

        The immersive Shakespeare makes stylistic decisions, which lead to new interpretations of characters. For instance, in the scene where Hamlet confronts Gertrude, the immersive Hamlet made the decision to have the ghost visibly appear before audience members. This decision is important because it influences audience member’s perception of Hamlet’s madness. By having the ghost actually be visible, we can physically see what Hamlet sees. Gertrude claims she cannot see the ghost. In the original version of Hamlet it cannot be clearly determined whether the ghost is actually there or not. By the immersive Hamlet making this decision, it causes Hamlet’s madness to seem less mad. The audience members might sympathize more with Hamlet because of this, due to the fact that they too can see something that others, such as Gertrude, are claiming not to. By Hamlet saying he sees something, but everyone around him telling him there’s nothing there it makes him seem crazy. By having the ghost be visible to the audience, it makes viewers sympathize with Hamlet because there is actually something there. Overall this make Hamlet appear less crazy, and thus change viewer’s character interpretation of Hamlet in comparison to the original version.

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