SALT LAKE CITY — Hamlet is one of the most popular roles in one of the most popular Shakespeare plays. Produced in Salt Lake City by JAM Collective (SLC) and directed by Dr. Lisa Halle, the newest production of Hamlet in the Utah Theatre World is an interesting interpretation of the famous tale. The story, of course, follows Hamlet, played by McKell Rae, as they try to avenge their father’s death at the hand of their uncle Claudius, played by Chase Grant.
The first thing I will bring up is the location of the show. The SLC Theatre Co-op is at the Gateway in SLC, but having not been to this particular venue, I did not realize exactly where and the GPS led me to an empty building, so I wandered for a minute and almost missed curtain. It is upstairs next to the movie theatre and bars. This is a fun location that allows different companies rental space, which is a great idea. When I was in Edinburgh this summer, there was a discussion of how many buildings had been turned into performance spaces and I am thrilled to see the same thing happening in my own community. The space is intimate, and there are some distractions from the noise around outside the venue. This was a bit distracting, however it gave me more of a feeling that I imagine would have been when the Bard himself was writing his shows, when the Play was the thing, and the play troupes were gathering together to create a story.
The team at JAM Collective embodied the idea of story creation. The first part of that story creation was the music, with original music written by Jaxson Dayton, and a full band on stage of various guitars, a base, and a Cajon drum. The music made for almost an underlying soundtrack, giving the show a mood that transformed the story. Next came the set, designed by McKell Rae and Abigail Watts. If I did not know I was at a production of Hamlet, I might have guessed The Tempest or even A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with a bit of a natural, zen feeling to the stage, with candles around the sides, and dirt around the edges. This design made a lot of sense as the story unfolded, especially during the pivotal scene when Ophelia, played by Abigail Watts, utilizes many of these scenic choices for the iconic death scene to great effect. Finally, the minimalistic choices of costume and set allowed for the focus to be on acting and storytelling, which is something I have always appreciated about Shakespearean productions in intimate spaces.
In the director’s note, director Halle points out the choice to cast Hamlet as a nonbinary character. The role of Hamlet has been one known to be coveted by many of the great actors all over the world. Witnessing Halle give Rae the chance to play this role, as well as choosing Annadee Morgan as Polonius, was a refreshing look at what innovative storytelling can do. I appreciated Rae’s capability of portraying emotion with their facial expressions, such as during the speech when they say “me thinks I see my father.” It was clear this was a character who had been disturbed by the sight of something paranormal. In the well known to be or not to be speech, I felt that Rae ended with a renewed hope in life, which made the losses throughout the show more painful. Rae and Watts as Ophelia had true chemistry, which was featured both in romantic scenes, but also in some of the scenes of pain and loss.
This show I also an ideal example of how storytelling on stage is far more complicated than what we, the audience, see. The final fight between Hamlet and Horatio, played by Nick Garner, was quite realistic thanks to fight choreographer Anton Moss. When you are in a space with only two or three rows, where the cast and audience are within mere feet of each other, staging a fight that looks realistic enough to see blood and make you wonder, wait, did they really just hit them? That is very skilled work.
Sometimes when I find out a play is being done again, I do wonder what is going to make this one different enough to compel me to go. JAM collective has woven a tapestry of a tale that makes this Hamlet unlike any you have ever seen. I look forward to seeing more of this company telling tales through new lenses.
These reviews are made possible by a grant from the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, and Parks program.
