A Singer’s Notes by Keith Kibler 33: Favorite Thespians
Shakespeare and Company's touring production of Hamlet was swift and sharp. It had something of the intransigence of youth about it. The focus was sharply on Katherine Abbruzzese's performance in the title role. All other roles were ably, nimbly taken by several actors who needed to be able to move quickly. This necessarily pushed the play toward melodrama. This was not bad. Ms. Abbruzzese was well-able to provide us with the energy and the virtuosity made necessary by the fleet, never-stopping direction. She seemed to be able to inhabit a world between genders without effort, like Hamlet seems to. This made me see Ophelia as more female than female, and that had a knife-edge tenderness. This made me see the graveyard reconciliation of Hamlet and Laertes as a lyrical event. What I missed most particularly were the Players. Hamlet the play is a slippery illusion, and the arrival of the Players paradoxically always makes me feel more grounded. I notice that Hamlet himself seems to feel the same way. The play makes us feel that the play's the thing—the thing that we can hang onto. On the up side, its absence only added to the straight-to-the-end momentum of the entire production. This was a Hamlet that moved like Macbeth. Ms. Abbruzzese did not belabor her private pronouncements to us; they were also compelled to dazzle. I found that they worked very well that way. I didn't have much time to think, and they seemed fresh, not separate from the main body of the play, just moments where it became more focused. This was a well-practiced performance with all the players connected in a simple and complete trust. The appreciative audience was well-pleased.

