Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Kenny Leon’s competent, solidly acted Shakespeare in the Park production of HAMLET leans in on the family drama

• By drediman
• June 29, 2023
• No Comments

This week, the Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet opened at the Delacorte Theatre. In many ways, the current offering at the Delacorte is sequel of sorts to – or a grim alternate universe of – the excellent 2019 Shakespeare in the Park production of Much Ado About Nothing. As envisioned and directed by sought-after director Kenny Leon, both are set in Georgia in a successful Black military household (both are set at a Beowulf Boritt-designed Southern mansion) and decidedly lean in on the family drama.

Overall, the performances are nothing less than solid. Coming off most successfully are the play’s central familial trio – Ato Blankson-Wood gives a vivid, anger-fueled performance in the title role; Lorraine Toussaint imbues Gertrude with a refreshingly self-aware quality; and the great John Douglas Thompson (one of our great Shakespearean actors, in my opinion) portrays a layered, less overtly less villainous Claudius. Also very good but not quite making their roles their own are the lovely Solea Pfeiffer as Ophelia, the appropriately pompous Daniel Pearce as Polonius, and the dashing but bland Nick Rehberge as Laertes.

Although there’s much to appreciate about the acting, Leon’s Hamlet ultimately comes across as merely competent and only occasionally compelling. Indeed, his iteration of the oft-performed tragedy doesn’t quite attain the full existential dimension of some the most memorable productions of I’ve seen. What seems to be missing is a bit more danger and unruliness. Additionally, Jason Michael Webb’s admittedly affecting songs (which are sprinkled somewhat awkwardly throughout) fail to fully cohere with Shakespeare’s tragedy, working against it by attempting to patly box it in.

RECOMMENDED

HAMLET
Off-Broadway, Play
The Public Theater / Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater
2 hours, 45 minutes (with one intermission)
Through August 6