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Regional Reviews: Phoenix A Klingon Hamlet
Shakespeare's classic story of Prince Hamlet, now envisioned as a noble Klingon warrior, who loses his father and seeks vengeance upon his uncle Claudius remains intact. The Klingon setting amplifies the play's themes of honor, familial loyalty, and bloodshed, fitting seamlessly into the brutal yet proud philosophy of Klingon culture. Hamlet's contemplations on life and death take on a new layer of meaning when filtered through the lens of a culture that reveres glorious death in battle. Meanwhile, familiar characters such as Gertrude, Ophelia, Laertes, and Polonius are all cleverly Klingon-ized, adding a fun, pop-cultural twist without undermining the narrative weight of Shakespeare's famous play. Under Keath Hall's confident direction, the cast provide committed, assured performances. As Hamlet, garbed in warrior regalia and wielding many familiar Star Trek weapons, Hall balances stoic honor with unhinged grief, delivering the character's iconic soliloquies with gravitas, melancholy, and a clear dose of revenge. Wes Martin exudes smug treachery as Claudius, while Amy Searcy as Gertrude, Hamlet's mother who quickly marries Claudius after her husband's death, evokes an appropriately ambiguous air of loyalty to her son. EC Darling-Bond as Horatio, Hamlet's closest friend and confidant, beautifully displays values of loyalty and honesty while serving as a grounding presence throughout the play, while Kate Haas renders Ophelia's descent into madness with an eerie sense of beauty. Polonius, the meddling advisor to King Claudius, has been gender flipped to a woman for this production, but it works perfectly with Debra Lyman's humorous but manipulative depiction of Polonius' efforts to control those around her, including her children, Ophelia and Laertes. Jonathan Gonzales, CD Macaulay, Marco Monacchio, and Benjamin Donnel round out the cast in several well-portrayed supporting roles. From Joshua Morris' impressive Klingon costumes to a cast who present a fairly fluent delivery of Shakespeare's lines, even though they are all wearing prosthetic pieces to portray the ridged foreheads of their Klingon characters, the production's commitment to the seriousness of Shakespeare's play and to fans of Star Trek is never in doubt. While the somewhat humorous title might suggest parody, and there are a few humorous bits, the cast and direction wisely play the drama straight, allowing the familiar themes of betrayal, honor and revenge to remain front and center, even under those Klingon prosthetic foreheads. There are a few well-placed tongue-in-cheek nods to Star Trek lore, including references to specifics of Klingon culture that come from episodes of the TV series, and a passing appearance of those pesky Tribbles, brings pops of laughter. However, those unfamiliar to Star Trek may be lost and wonder why people are laughing or applauding at certain lines or a few of the images in the projections. There are also a few fun in-jokes that less familiar Star Trek fans may miss. Though the set is minimal, it's effective, with a raised stage that allows the action to be seen clearly no matter where you sit. It also relies on lighting shifts, sound effects, and projections by Chris McKenna to suggest the alien world. Along with the costumes, the addition of Wes Martin's alien-like makeup and numerous wigs transport the audience directly into the Klingon world. The props by Keath Hall, including numerous weapons, such as bladed D'k tangs, disruptors, and glinting bat'leths, that anyone who has seen a few Star Trek episodes will be familiar with, bring the beloved culture of the show vibrantly to life. Those weapons come into play toward the end of Act Two in a battle that features Benjamin Donnel's excellent fight choreography. Whether you're a Shakespeare purist, a Trekkie, or somewhere in between, A Klingon Hamlet is an entertaining and inventive journey that proves both genres can thrive together. You could also say that it boldly goes where no Bard has gone before. A Klingon Hamlet, a Ronin Theatre Company production, runs through May 25, 2025, at the Irish Cultural Center, 1106 N Central Ave, Phoenix AZ. The production will also play in conjunction with Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival from May 30-June 1 in Flagstaff and then at Stage Left Productions in Glendale from June 20-29. For tickets and information for the performances this weekend, visit www.ronintheatre.com. For the Flagstaff performances, visit flagshakes.org, and for the Stage Left performances, www.stageleftaz.com. Director/Props: Keath Hall Cast: |
