Hamlet

“The physicality required in moving bodies over so huge an area makes for heightened urgency in the dramatic action as well, but director Ronan Marra and his cast are not content to coast on sheer spectacle. Every word of Shakespeare’s text has been carefully analyzed for what it reveals about the characters’ emotional dynamic with subsequent weight meted appropriately. We never doubt Polonius’ fatherly affection for his children. King Claudius is allowed a moment of genuine remorse over his fraudulent ascent to the throne. And when Hamlet rejects Ophelia, his visible pain at having to carry out his cruel charade is enough to break our hearts”. Mary Shen Barnridge, Windy City Times 05/02/07

””Director Ronan Marra finds honest humor in many of Shakespeare’s darkest, most disturbing corners, including Hamlet’s visit to the boudoir of his incestuous, bloodthirsty mother to work out his singular Oedipus complex. And Signal Ensemble Theatre’s self-described straightforward production is blessedly free of conceptual clutter. But it doesn’t have a clear point of view. Like the generic velvet capes, tin crowns, and black tights here, little in the staging is detailed enough to leaving a lasting impression. Marra tries to keep things at a rolling boil all night, creating three and a half hours of unvarying, exhausting energy. And too often the performers allow indiscriminate outrage to render their dialogue unintelligible–even the usually meticulous Christopher Prentice as Hamlet”. Justin Hayford, Chicago Reader 04/26/07

“When selecting a season, what makes a well-received young company choose to do yet another straightforward, nothing-new-to-the-table Hamlet? We’ll never know, but for this edition of the doublet parade, Christopher Prentice’s Hamlet is hot-tempered and wry, although Prentice is too strong a match for Don Bender’s bland, non-threatening Claudius. (And in terms of the eternal debate, this Hamlet is just playing mad, whereas Erin Myers’ Ophelia isn’t interesting until she goes mad.) Ronan Marra’s production is well staged but won’t take you anywhere you haven’t been before”. Kris Vire, TimeOut Chicago