Just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about Hamlet, Avant Bard brings a whole new approach to one of the Bard’s most enigmatic characters. Director Kathleen Akerley’s re-imagining brings fresh, innovative twists to Hamlet and the characters around him.
Non-traditional casting flips gender roles all over the place. In addition, as the actors played multiple roles, you had to stay on your toes to keep up with who was who. Akerley’s work is described as cerebral for a reason — it’s mind-boggling and dreamlike. Her reimagining of the classics shakes everything up and deconstructs the presumptions, while her theatrical realism skills keep things grounded, like a launching pad that you can trust will get you back safely.
There have been so many theatrical takes on Hamlet recently because his dilemmas don’t get old. Whether it’s Dad and/or Mom issues, guilt tripping, or insecurity, Hamlet’s got it all in spades. And in this case, literally. Spades and shovels get serious air time in this production, where gravediggers open the show pontificating about the most recently departed (a body that comically doesn’t fit in its space). Spades are held by actors in military formation like weaponry, and the sound of grave digging is the last thing you hear at the end. Death is constant in the show — it’s the life issues swirling around waiting for death to happen and coming to grips with the aftermath that bring on the drama.
The gender-bending casting works because the actors are top-flight. First of all, Rachel Sanderson is wonderful as Hamlet, who prances playfully along the set, broods over his turmoil, and cavorts with buddies, running the gamut of emotions with easygoing grace and charm. The famous speeches and soliloquies slip easily along in the scenes instead of getting bogged down in pervasive darkness. Hamlet is indeed terrified of the specter of his father, repulsed by his mother’s choice to marry his uncle Claudius, and has no idea what to do with his tumultuous thoughts about his love interest Ophelia. But Sanderson’s Hamlet has a steady center that keeps him grounded enough to keep his focus, plot to expose his uncle’s wretched deeds, and seek revenge.
Award-winning metro favorite Lolita Marie is a grandiose Claudius, who stands his ground, barks orders, and plots his ongoing conquests. Marie cuts a striking figure strutting along the set in commanding attire (costuming by Akerley), looking around furtively for hints of sabotage with a killer gaze. Claudius is indeed in a conundrum dealing with this wayward youth who is wreaking havoc on his best-laid plans. All that softens when caring tenderly for Gertrude, his new wife, formerly his sister-in-law, wooed after his brother’s untimely death. Something about this pairing makes me wonder if Claudius had an hankering for her all along, but perhaps I thinketh too much. Akerley’s keen direction keeps everything fresh and possible. It’s thrilling watching these female actors have the chance to sink their teeth into these otherwise inaccessible characters.
Same thing with Willem Rogers, who is nearly iridescent as a waif-like Ophelia in expressing the confusion of being cast off by her former best friend and betrothed. Rogers embodies his character’s sensitivities and sensibilities with loving tenderness without camp or girly distress. Rogers portrays Ophelia as humble, with glimpses of defiance, using quiet stillness to express layers of emotional subtext for a masterful performance. There’s also the terrific costume choice of wrapping a shirt around the waist that Rogers fondles periodically as a skirt. The portrayal shows how Akerley digs into the essence of the character to be reflected in whatever vessel or body being used. That applies to the entire ensemble with a special nod to Sara Barker’s Gertrude, whose steely carriage holds up through all the contradictions of her life choices.
The design elements are all strikingly good. The simple yet clever scenic design by Elizabeth Jenkins McFadden contains several back stairs for dramatic entrances and long chimes with swinging sonorous tones across the set. Also striking is a short, sturdy wall that cuts across the stage, which serves to hide the grave pit and can be used to hop, skip, and jump across to accentuate the action. Ian Claar’s exquisite lighting hits gory red as the mortality piles up, while sound by Neil McFadden goes from pleasant baroque to tectonic to heart-pounding thunderous
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so” is one of Hamlet’s many lines that express the power of thought to shape and justify even dastardly deeds, and the play is full of them. This new envisioning is a nervy combination of brilliance, excitement, and verve to explore the ageless and timeless wonder of Hamlet.
Running Time: Approximately two hours and 20 minutes, with one 10-minute intermission.
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark plays through May 24, 2025, presented by Avant Bard Theatre performing at Gunston Arts Center, Theatre Two, 2700 S. Lang St, Arlington, VA. Showtimes are 7:30 pm Thursday through Saturday, and 2:00 pm matinees Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are ($40 for general admission; $20 for students, seniors, and military veterans and servicemembers) are available online. Saturday matinees (including a mask-required performance on Saturday, May 17, at 2:00 pm) are pay-what-you-can. Federal employees who have been wrongfully terminated by the current administration are welcome to complimentary tickets. Email info@avantbard.org with the date and time of the performance you would like to attend.
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
CAST
Hamlet: Rachel Sanderson
Horatio: Kira Gandolfo
Claudius: Lolita Marie
Gertrude: Sara Barker
Polonius/Marcellus: Erin Denman
Old Hamlet/Guildenstern: Christopher Holbert
Laertes/Rosencrantz: Selah Kreeger
Ophelia/Bernado: Willem Rogers
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Director and Adaptor: Kathleen Akerley
Co-Producers: Sara Barker, Alyssa Sanders
Production Stage Manager: Solomon HaileSelassie
Assistant Director: Erin Abney
Set Design: Elizabeth Jenkins McFadden
Scenic Artist: Meg Zettell
Lighting Design: Ian Claar
Sound Design: Neil McFadden
Costume/ Props Design: Kathleen Akerley
Fight & Intimacy Choreographer: James Finley
