DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

A series of intimating ghosts haunt every new production of Hamlet: achingly brilliant yet familiar lines rediscovered on every page; the multitudinously complex central character; powerful memories of iconic productions past that flamboyantly showcased the talents of the world’s best theatre artists. With easier masterpieces readily available, why in the world would a sane person attempt this one? Madness.

But hey, we have to start somewhere. One reason to tackle such a complex play rests in the seemingly endless possibilities. Once you start pulling on a thread, the yarn keeps coming. One of the threads we chose to pull in our production examines how poorly some of us appear to be made for this difficult world. In John 15:19, Jesus reminds his disciples, “As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” Hamlet’s world hates him so much that he famously considers leaving it early (“To be or not to be”). In the wake of the death of a beloved father and King, his survival depends on ruthlessness, cunning, and malice. Sensitive, artistic, and vulnerable souls prone to depression, like Hamlet, struggle to survive in such an inhospitable and cruel setting. As you will soon witness, many characters will not survive.

But the suffering and death fueling this great tragedy need not be in vain. Surely, the rotten state that is Denmark cannot stand forever. By Act Five, Hamlet seems to recognize this when he serenely prophesizes, “there is special providence in the fall of a sparrow.” As this poetic line implies, a divine force with benevolent intent undergirds the moral universe, patiently waiting to restore the kingdom.

Hamlet’s plot echoes another story that many of us love, especially during these weeks following Easter. In both stories, the restoration requires sacrifice, but it comes. Until then, “the readiness is all.”

Scenic/Puppet Designer: Ethan Koerner

Lighting/Projections Designer: Drew Schmidt

Sound Designer: Frances DeArmond