Freebie #5: Hamlet at the WFC

This is a SUPER delayed review of my latest freebie, mostly because it is April, a.k.a. finals, a.k.a. Grad Student Hell. I actually took in this freebie last weekend and truth be told, I even now don't really have time to be writing this little post... shhhh... don't tell my profs!

Thanks to The Village Voice, I found this latest gem of a freebie waiting to be discovered at the World Financial Center. Yes: it sounds odd, I realize -- Shakespeare in the Financial District??? But wait! It gets even odder. This is not just "Sit-Down-and-Veg-Out" Shakespeare (well, like you're gonna veg out watching Hamlet anyway). This is "Sit, Watch, Get up, Walk, and Repeat" Shakespeare. What I mean by this is that every scene of the play is in a different section of the venue -- in this case, the World Financial Center. So, Act 1, Scene 1 was just upstairs above Starbucks, where we sat on the floor, and then we all got up and walked 200 meters to another floor space around the corner for Act 1, Scene 2. And this repeated for the entire play.

What this means is:

• I got a really nice tour of the WFC, which was kind of good considering I had never been there before.
• I often became really confused as to where in the building we were.
• I got some exercise.
• My seat -- and the stage -- changed every scene. Once or twice I was up front, a few other times I was at the back, and most of the time I was somewhere in the middle. 
• My butt and legs were a bit sore by the time I finished.

However, do not let any of these things stop you from going to see the show, which runs until the 18th (see the webpage for details).  It was really an excellent performance. I can say this with some authority because I've seen a LOT of Shakespeare in my 30+ years on this earth; I love Shakespeare. I've taught Shakespeare plays, I've directed them, I've acted in them, I've read them, and I've watched several of them in both stage and film versions. I am quite opinionated when it comes to Shakespeare because I'm passionate about his work. So when I tell you that this was a good show, you can really take my word for it. (And for what it's worth, I'm not a purist, either.)

New York Classical Theatre knows what they are doing. Justin Blanchard takes control of the character of Hamlet -- never an easy role to play, let alone when you're doing it in a dynamic setting like this one, where settings and costumes are simple, and the actor must truly grab the audience. He was marvelous and captivating. Stephen Burdman directs and does well to use the space effectively, again, in a challenging environment. The other highlight for me was the actress Rita Rehn, playing Gertrude. Her role was convincing and engaging.  I have plenty more I would like to say but, honestly, in the interest of time I must wrap up this post.

While it's a bit odd to see Shakespeare in a mall-like setting (at one point there were advertisements on a screen directly behind Polonius), and to move around with every scene (some audience members take this to mean it's the Kentucky derby and you are the horses), it's definitely still enjoyable. One friend who joined me had never seen a Shakespeare play before. I told her she was very brave, starting with Hamlet! But she loved it and found it remarkably accessible, which I think is one of the NY Classical Theatre's goals. Bring a cushion to sit on -- you'll be on the floor -- and some energy and you'll be fine! You may also find it useful to read the company's suggestions [PDF] before attending.

New York Classical Theatre does ask for a donation at the end of the show, but you're under no obligation. They do this very non-obtrusively and it works.

And now... back to paper-writing...

[image respectfully borrowed from The Village Voice event page]

Freebie Alert: Time Out NY is on our side

I've already posted Time Out in The Sources, but this week they've truly outdone themselves.

Pick up a copy of their mag or check out the link to find all sorts of free things to do in the city.

The only thing they left off the list: staring at the Empire State building while writing theory papers.