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Theater club takes on challenge of staging Hamlet
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Posted on May 03 2005
For perhaps the first time ever, a live production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet will be staged on Saipan.
Scheduled for evening performances on Friday, May 13, and Saturday, May 14, in the Mount Carmel School Performance Hall, Hamlet marks the 18th production by the school’s Theatre Club.
“It’s a rare opportunity for the island community to watch one of the greatest plays ever written,” according to Hamlet producer and director, Galvin Deleon Guerrero. In addition to being one of the greatest, he notes, it is probably one of the most difficult to stage.
Student director Caisha Sablan agreed. “I can’t believe Mr. G said yes when we asked him if we could do this play.”
The role of Hamlet is simultaneously one of the most coveted and feared roles in drama, as his character delivers some of the best known, most difficult, and most passionate speeches ever committed to paper, not the least of which is his, “To be, or not to be” speech.
The role of Hamlet has been played by such stars as Mel Gibson, Ethan Hawke, Kenneth Brannagh, Sir Lawrence Olivier, and Kevin Kline. Mount Carmel’s production will see the title role played by senior Vince Aldan. Aldan admitted that it is quite a challenge but adds, “It’s very interesting. It takes a lot of discipline, time and effort, so that you can actually perform and play your character well.”
Also of interest is the fact that the production will be in the original Elizabethan English. “We wanted to maintain the integrity of the text, so, aside from the standard cuttings for performance, we will use the original text,” said Deleon Guerrero. “But we also want it to appeal to a modern audience, which is why we’re adding some modern elements.”
Among the things the Theatre Club will do to bring Hamlet into the 21st century is incorporate multi-media video effects, and pre-filmed clips into the action of the play.
Tickets for Hamlet are only $5 and can be purchased from members of the Mount Carmel School Theatre Club, the Mount Carmel School Business Office, or at the door.
Any questions can be referred to either Deleon Guerrero or Andrew McDonnell at 234-6184.
