RECOMMENDED
If something is rotten in the state of Denmark, it is certainly not Chicago Shakespeare’s production of “Short Shakespeare! Hamlet.” This short and sweet variation of Shakespeare’s tragic tale of the Danish prince Hamlet gives us his story in a brisk seventy-five-minute rendition. It whittles the cast down to but a handful of players, most of whom are double or even triple cast. This makes the work much more palatable, especially for anyone encountering it for the first time.
The essential bits audiences need to know are that Claudius is Hamlet’s uncle, who murdered his father, the King of Denmark, and then married his mother, Gertrude. So, Hamlet sets out to prove that his uncle is his father’s murderer.
But what is most interesting about this variation of Hamlet to me, someone who adores the play, is how the shrunken text impacts the characters at hand. With the whittled-down cast, there is no Rosencrantz or Guildenstern, making Hamlet much more alone. He doesn’t really have anyone to lean on save for Ophelia. Which makes Jaylon Muchison’s deeply human Hamlet even more fascinating. Suddenly, Hamlet really is constantly talking to no one but himself. His perceived descent into madness feels even more desperate, as he clings to the fabric of life in an attempt to just get through another day.
By the same token, some of the double-casting in this is delightful from a character perspective. Scott Aiello playing both Claudius and the Ghost (Hamlet’s father) is hilariously on the nose. Whereas Joe Foust doubles as the First Clown (Gravedigger) and staunch Polonius, demonstrating this actor’s incredible range.
Yet none hold a candle to Charence Higgins’ Ophelia. Never have I seen her played with such grace and fortitude. Ophelia’s character goes through so much in the span of this play, made quicker by the shortened runtime, that it is astounding to watch Higgins roll through these acting acrobatics with ease. She is a marvel.
The stark, stoic scenic design of Michael Pavelka gives the cast a stern playground with which to tell this tale. It offers very little by way of comfort, which is by design. Hamlet’s house is not his home anymore. Instead, it is a cold shelter in which life falls apart.
While this is a strong, impactful short production of Hamlet, it does lose a bit of the story’s nuance without some of the characters and their relationships. So I’d encourage first-time audiences to see a fuller version later on. However, I can easily see how a show like this could set first-timers on a course to fall in love with Shakespeare.
“Short Shakespeare! Hamlet” runs at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 East Grand, through February 28.
