HAMLET

Believe it or not, I had never seen Hamlet before the other night, (very much on purpose,) but I’m absolutely positive that this is not your father’s Hamlet. Nor even that of your great-great-great-grandfather. Actually, I’m not sure it’s even Shakespeare’s play! As a matter of fact, I can confidently attest to that the second half is definitely not.

However, here’s the thing—although I recognize and admire his genius, I’m far from being a fan of Shakespeare; on the other hand, I adore film noir. So I’m really torn on this very unusual take on Hamlet.

Before I discuss the actual production, I just have to say that it was sooo nice to be back in the Mark Taper Forum. They have cut back to only two or three productions a year, and I, sadly, haven’t been able to make it to any of them for the past two years! But I’ve always been attached to that place; outside of UCLA, it’s the first professional theater I ever went to in Los Angeles when I was a teen. And I was thrilled to see that it was one hundred percent full for the Hamlet opening. The arrivals area was buzzing with excitement!

Now, as to the play, knowing the official synopsis of Hamlet will help you a bit, but only to a point. I researched it afterwards, but am still somewhat confused by what I saw on stage that night. I had no idea what was going on for the entire two hours. The whole thing is more like a Hamlet-Columbo mash-up, (but definitely without the charm of the latter!) And then it turns into an episode of Dateline.

But it starts out interestingly enough. My friend, Marc, and I loved the very beginning, which reminded us both of a 1940s film noir. The creative opening features black-and-white cast credits and ominous music, making it look like an old movie. That was very promising to us, and we only wished it had stayed that way.

On the plus side, Marc says that the presentation is “artistically nuanced.” And the set, designed by Clint Ramos, is pretty interesting, especially the very high staircases on both sides. I was half expecting my old pals, the late dancers-extraordinaire Nicolas Brothers, to start leaping over each other on the stairs any second! And Marc and I both loved Yee Eun Nam’s fabulous projections the most.

Speaking of fabulous, there was a duo of absolutely fascinating ASL signers in one section. I watched them from time to time and was amazed by them. The ladies were especially animated when hip-hop music occasionally came on. [Note: I don’t know which performances they’ll be there for, so please check the theatre’s website at the bottom of this review if you’re interested.]

The cast members have many credits to their names, but the only one I had ever seen before is Gina Torres, who plays Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude. She was on the third season of 24, a series of which I was a big fan.

But from the squeals when he first appeared, it seemed that many people were there to see Patrick Ball, who’s also on the current TV show, The Pitt. Here, he’s in the difficult role of Prince Hamlet himself, and gave me my only laugh of the night with his very amusing delivery of the classic line, “Alas, poor Yurick. I knew him,” (a quote to which most people erroneously add the word “well” after “him.”)

Now let’s get to the heart of the matter. Even though there’s no intermission, which this show desperately needs, the scenario is divided into two parts. I hate ruining the surprise of what the second half is, but it must be discussed.

I think what the writer and director were going for is to show what happened in the original Hamlet, and then have the “crimes” investigated ala Knives Out or the like. But none of that is clear. Without that much-needed intermission, the action just changes all of a sudden. From my perch high atop the audience, (which is a good place to be, in this case, to take in the entire tableau of the set,) I noticed a man in a trench coat walking down a lower aisle, and taking a seat on the steps close to the stage. He could have easily been just an audience member re-taking his seat, but I figured he’s part of the presentation. And I was correct—he turned-out to be some kind of detective for a film production company, which I didn’t get, either. But the entire assemblage seemed to pick-up upon his entrance. I attribute that change in audience energy to the fact that the cast started speaking in modern jargon at that point.

As Marc put it, “When they started speaking English…,” which I totally got. They speak English throughout, of course, but it’s so much easier to understand when they begin talking like modern characters. Either way, it’s all more than a tad weird. So, to identify what we were talking about in our discussions on the way home, we kept referring to “English,” “Columbo,” and “Act II,” even though it was just one (very long) act. (A character in the play says, “This is too long,” to which I heard people around me say things like, “Exactly.” And later on the detective says, “It’s been a long night!,” which prompted knowing giggles from the audience.)

I could have also lived without all the superfluous sex acts, such as Hamlet’s good pal Horatio basically performing fellatio on him, (in something to do with Hamlet’s “sword,” like they’re in high school,) shortly after Hamlet’s head could be seen under Ophelia’s underwear-less skirt. I guess they made Hamlet bi-sexual in this version, for no apparent reason.

So for once, I can neither recommend nor deter you from seeing this show. It’s far from my cup of tea, but I’m actually glad to have seen it, to be in with the in-crowd, and to judge for myself after hearing so much about this reimagined Hamlet. If I hadn’t been so exhausted, my head would have hurt from trying to figure it all out. So I suggest people see the show for the performances of actors they might have seen on TV or to just enjoy the theatre. And it did appear that much of the opening night crowd seemed to appreciate the work.

Speaking of the crowd, this was the best, most appropriately-dressed group I’ve seen in quite a while. So major kudos to about eighty-five percent of the audience.

I’m glad they were so well-dressed because we all headed over to the second floor of the stunning across-the-plaza Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for a toast to the Artistic Director of the Center Theatre Group, Snehal Desai, (who told us in his welcoming speech that this was “a new bent on the classic play,” and that he wanted us to “look at this iconic work through a new lens,”) to toast the end of his first year in that important capacity. It was a lovely capper to the evening.

Hamlet running through July 6, 2025
Mark Taper Forum 135 N. Grand Ave.
213-972-4400 www.centertheatregroup.org