A Close-up of Hamlet

John Gunnoe (Claudius) rehearsing at the barn.

We are less than a month from the opening night of Hamlet! Rehearsals have gotten more and more exciting (and more and more hot…) as we continue to explore the play through the lens of the Civil War. Since our stumble through two weeks ago, we have been revisiting the individual scenes to do color them in.

Walter Kmiec (Hamlet) and Melora Kordos (Gertrude)

Shannon Schultz (Ophelia)

Walter and Catherine Tooke (Guildenstern, sans pregnant belly)

This is the part that I enjoy the most. We’ve blocked the show, and now we get to detail it. Exploring the language and the characters even more in depth has been an exciting, illuminating, and sweaty process for sure. It’s incredible to see how much Shakespeare’s words fit perfectly into our concept. All the allusions and metaphors of war and farming take on a much more direct and personal meaning for all these folks in Denmark, Virginia. Taking this play to the next level has been (and will continue to be) a remarkable journey, and one that you will want to see! (More than just once, of course.)

Aaron Farr (Rosencrantz)

Walter Kmiec (Hamlet)

Mark Foreman (Polonius)

Derek Arey

Actor