We’re to have lunch at a burger place, before we
head to a production of Hamlet. I’m concerned. A big, juicy burger will put me straight to
bed. But the kids know the place, and
love it, so there isn’t any discussion.
We parked and headed
straight in to where the move theatre used to be. Now this corner and adjacent real estate is
Burgerfi. The woman behind the counter
is notably assertive and notably proud and notably ready to tell everyone the
distinguishing characteristics of what it is we’re they’re ordering. I take her advice and get a big basket of
fries and another of onion rings. We go
to bare metal table to await our devices to begin their bleeping. They do and the burger delicious, as
promised.
The play is in an old farm
house on the Vassar Farm property. I use
the bathroom and return to find my sister and kids have moved. “Sorry, no seats here.” I go take a seat in the back. The place is decorated sparsely and I look
around to consider the crowd, a mix of student-aged folks and oldsters like
me. I noticed one African American woman
sitting by herself staring off into space.
As the lights went down it became clear that she would be the Danish
prince this evening.
Hamlet can’t make up her
mind. She never can. She’s ardent and earnest, spurred on by visions
that only we can see. And she’s frozen
with indecision. Claudius plays it
neutral. Gertrude tries to be
reasonable. But the ghost’s don’t
lie. We know why this young prince is in
so much pain. The cast sets about with
large primitive icons that do a good job of suggesting an uncompromising Nordic
medievalia.
Later after the spell is broken
my stepdad enters the bathroom and seeing me comments about how the play was
good for a student production. I gesture
for him to mind his commentary as Resencrantz and Guilderstern are currently
using the two stalls.
Looking on Wiki I note
that this director was not the first to consider casting a woman in the prince’
role. Sarah Bernhardt had the role in
1880 . . .
Friday 07/14/17
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