Hamlet @ Folgers

I went to see my first Shakespearean play since coming to DC last night at Folger's Shakespeare Library. This venue is behind the Library of Congress kinda near the Capital South stop. I got to walk around the exterior and see both the facade sculptures and English Garden with its metal sculptures; alas was not able to see the libraru itself. The theatre here is an intimate 250 seats in size and elizabethan in style. Very comfortable with good acoustics, small enough that there really is not a bad seat in the house.

For this production, the set was very spare and white, a reminiscently Scandinavian style, appropriate to a play about Danish monarchy. The dress was business formal, cutting edge in fashion (fitted, European style) and seemed completely appropriate for the Royal figurals portrayed. There was also excellent use of light to illuminate sections of stage and provide contrast for scene changes. Also loved the use of film as the medium by which the cast watches the play-within-a-play scene.

The play itself was very well directed and acted. I thought the cast was strongly emotive, with Hamlet conveying a lot of raw anguish. The character playing Hamlet Sr (and also the lead actor of the play-within-a-play) deserves special mention as his voice was so perfectly... I don't know. He just sounded really good. Ophelia was a bit weak though I do not really have much to compare her too and I will say that Hamlet's anguished dialogue sometimes made it difficult to understand his speach.

Overall, I have not seen Hamlet in a long time and will be seeing it in Opera form next week but this was an excellent production. It seems to me that with Shakespeare, understanding the play before you see it makes you appreciate it more so knowing the story or watching it multiple times and perhaps in different interpretations just gives you more appreciation.