Hamlet, the Artist formerly known as PRINCE of Denmark

Transcription

1 Hamlet, the Artist formerly known as PRINCE of Denmark A Study Guide by Buddy MacKinder Table of Contents THE PLAYWRIGHT... 2 THE MUSIC... 3 CO-DIRECTORS/WRITERS... 3 TIME PERIOD... 6 THEME... 7 WHY NOW?... 8 GLOSSARY... 9 PROMPTS... 12

2 The Playwright William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, allegedly on April 23, Very little of Shakespeare s life is actually documented. What is known however is that Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, on November 28, Shakespeare was 18 at the time, and Hathaway was 26 and pregnant. The couple went on to have three children, one of whom died at age 11. By 1594, Shakespeare was acting, writing, and co-producing for Lord Chamberlain's Men. The troupe was a favorite in London, attended by the mass populous and royalty. The plague forced the theatre closed in the mid-1590s, and Shakespeare s company moved to The Globe Theatre. There at The Globe, Shakespeare had plays published and sold in small pamphlets to his audiences. Shakespeare retired to Stratford in 1611, but not before writing 37 plays and 154 sonnets. Shakespeare allegedly passed away on the day he was born, fifty two years later, April 23rd He is currently buried at the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford, and is considered one of the greatest playwrights in the English language. Shakespeare s works continue to be more widely produced than any other playwright.

3 The Music Prince Rogers Nelson was born June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He currently performs under the name of Prince, but has also been known by various other names, one being a symbol used between 1993 and 2000, and others being colloquialisms from fans and critics such as: His Purple Majesty, His Royal Badness, and The Artist Formerly Known As Prince. Prince has released several hundred songs under his own name and with other artists. He has won six Grammy Awards, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Rolling Stone magazine currently ranks two of Prince s albums on the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, with Purple Rain at 72 and Sign o the Times at 93. Co-Directors/Writers Mike Sulprizio graduated from U.C.S.B. with a degree in Dramatic Arts and also spent a year in the BFA conservatory program in After graduating, Sulprizio spent three months in Prague, producing a co-created documentary and English language musical, The Caravan. In 1994, Sulprizio produced and directed two one-act plays at the Playbox Theatre. He also began a two year stint working with the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble as an assistant director and performer. In 1995, Sulprizio was working in casting where he met Matt Walker. After working together for the summer, it became clear that the creative forces of

4 Sulprizio and Walker were unique, and shortly after, Troubadour Theater Company was born. Sulprizio has served as Executive Director of Troubadour Theater Company for the last 14 years and has produced and acted in almost every production. For the last three years he has also been the associate director on most productions. Matt Walker was born August 12, 1969 in Santa Monica, CA. He became a professional actor at the age of 17. Nine years later, in 1995, Walker accepted a job as the director of a TBS cable television show, Dinner & a Movie. He followed by directing Movies For Guys Who Like Movies, The Man Made Movie, Movie & A Makeover, and Big Playstation Saturday. In 1997 Walker was accepted into Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's Clown College on a full scholarship and left Los Angeles. For three months, seven days a week, 14 hours a day, he trained in the circus arts, which led to a contract as a clown with The Greatest Show on Earth. After the circus, Walker was more committed than ever to bringing a purely physical, musical, and improvisational style of theater to Los Angeles. Having studied with The Second City, The San Francisco Mime Troupe and renowned clown, Bill Irwin, Walker assembled a multi talented group of actors, musicians, writers and acrobats to form Troubadour Theater Company.

5 Troubadour Theater Company is a freewheeling, no holds barred, Commedia Del Arte flavored, slapstick driven Los Angeles based ensemble of actors, musicians, and comedians that has been performing for audiences throughout Southern California and beyond since Their fast-paced, laugh-filled, loose adaptations (some of the lines are still there) of classic plays and films, as well as their original productions and hilarious sketch material, make this company a unique and exciting experience for theater-goers of any age. In its adaptations of the Bard's classics, Troubadour has combined the beauty of Shakespeare's language with feats of acrobatic physicality, comic routines, and musical numbers. What makes for even more fun is the clownish, interactive style in which the performances are presented. Improvisation plays a large part as audience members are called upon to help erect the set, sing along, and even enlisted to play parts! 1 1 "About Us." Troubie.com. 1 Feb 2009 <

6 Time Period According to Mike Sulprizio, the text of Hamlet takes place in Elizabethan England, yet the music of Prince, the costumes, and choreography infuse the production with the nineteen eighties. Sulprizio and Walker have also added scripted improvisation and several witticisms mocking modern culture. Through movement, clowning, and character development, the cast parodies pop culture, genre, archetype, and history, as much through physicality as they do language. Cast members even have the green light to reference current events at any given moment. The genre of this show is very much pastiche. It grabs references and allusions from any given source at any moment in time. The only grounding force seems to be the overall theme, that of entertainment, a theme which is largely dependent on improvisation. A current event from outside the theater or even a sneeze inside the theater may become part of the show. The fourth wall is obliterated over and over again throughout the performance. A live band plays during each night s performance, allowing the actors greater flexibility to improvise. Though the cultural references may span several centuries, the era of the play is clearly grounded in the current night s performance. Both Walker and Sulprizio say that if there is a time period for the piece it is now, in Twenty First Century Los Angeles, every night.

7 Theme Entertainment is always relevant, especially now, says Walker. People need an escape and the themes of this show are universal. All of academia keeps asking us, What s it about? When is it happening? What are the themes? You know what? We re just here to entertain you, says Sulprizio. Both directors claim the audience should hope to get entertainment out of the performance and enjoy the freedom to laugh. Ashley Paulson maintains the overarching theme with her designs by creating costumes that are fun to watch on stage. Paulson states, working on a rather complicated synthesis of two very different genres (Prince and Shakespeare), to make the two work together, I concentrated on the modern audiences' stereotypes of period costume, instead of being overly concerned with accurate period costumes. The results are hybrid costumes where an audience should be able to see both Prince and Shakespeare represented at all times. Lysa Fox adds original dance choreography tailored to the ensemble. Taking a page out of the co-director s book, Fox says she wanted to make the choreography accessible to audiences of all ages. Emulating moves from iconic eighties pop stars such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, and Prince, Fox s choreography heightens the songs and characters. The overall result tells as much of an entertaining story as the music and text.

8 Why Now? Hamlet, the Artist formerly known as PRINCE of Denmark was first conceived and performed by Troubadour Theater Company. The current production is now a barebones script of the original, adapted to the individual talents of the cast. Walker jokingly calls the production, a parody by Cal Rep players with additional material by William Shakespeare and Prince. Both directors hope to turn people s expectations upside down and deliver the unexpected. Walker claims that an artist s new work should be inherently theirs and one of a kind. He also hopes that this version of Hamlet will entertain people in a positive way. When asked why the play is relevant now, Walker addressed the actors, We [directors] are handed these people [actors] in this space. Give people the opportunity to get to do what they otherwise couldn t do, change to make it [the play and experience] connective. The collaborative nature of the co-directors is evident in everything they do. Each director speaks highly of the other, often deferring comment to the other. They are humble, giving, and open. Their one simple mission in producing this show is to make people laugh. The theme within the theme may indeed be this very open nature where audiences are free to laugh and escape into another world. Walker and Sulprizio have employed so many comedic weapons that all audiences should definitely be entertained, maybe educated, and hopefully walk away not taking themselves too seriously.

9 GLOSSARY abstract- disassociated from any specific instance. alack- used to express sorrow or regret. anoint- to rub or sprinkle on; apply an unguent, ointment, or oily liquid to. anon- at once. antic- an attention-drawing often wildly playful or funny act or action. arras- a tapestry used especially for wall hangings and curtain. arrant- being notoriously without moderation. assail- to attack violently with blows or words. asunder- into parts. bastard- an illegitimate child. beseech- to beg for urgently or anxiously. bodes- indicates by signs. brevity- shortness of duration. brood- to think or worry persistently or moodily about; ponder. calamity- a state of deep distress or misery caused by major misfortune. carouses- to engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking. chalice- a drinking cup or goblet. chronicle- historical account of events arranged in order of time. Claudius- The King of Denmark and Hamlet s uncle. commendable- to recommend as worthy of confidence or notice. commerce- the exchange or buying and selling of commodities on a large scale. conscience- sensitive regard for fairness or justice.

10 consummate- complete by sexual intercourse. disposition- prevailing tendency, mood, or temperament. discourse- verbal interchange of ideas. ditty- an especially simple and unaffected song. doth- do, or does. ducat- a former European (usually gold) coin. expostulate- to reason earnestly with a person. fares- gets along with. foils- light fencing swords. forth- onward in time, place, or order. Francisca- a soldier. Gertrude- The Queen of Denmark, and Hamlet s mother. ghost- the soul of a dead person. Guildy- Guildenstern; a former friend of Hamlet s. Hamlet- The Prince of Denmark. hast- has, or have. hereafter- after this, in sequence or in time. Horatio- Hamlet s close friend. impart- to give. jest- to joke. knaves- people of humble birth or position; slaves. Laertes- Polonius son and Ophelia s brother. liege- a superior to whom allegiance and service are due.

11 lunacy- wild foolishness. melancholy- depression. mock- to treat with contempt or ridicule. nay- no. nunnery- a convent where nuns reside. oath- a solemn attestation of the truth or inviolability of one's words. Ophelia- Polonius daughter, whom Hamlet is in love. Osric- the foolish courtier who summons Hamlet to duel. perchance- maybe. perturbed- disturbed greatly in mind. piteous- deserving compassion. Polonius- Father of Laertes and Ophelia. rapier- a straight 2-edged sword with a narrow pointed blade. Rosencrantz- a former friend of Hamlet s. savoir faire- a polished sureness in social behavior. slander- to demean with words. sovereignty- freedom from external control. tatters- rags. tedious- dull, boring. trifling- trivial or frivolous; lacking in worth. unction- exaggerated, or superficial earnestness of language or manner. usurp- to seize by force and without right. wretch- a miserable, unhappy, despicable person.

12 PROMPTS 1. What moments of comedy were most effective or ineffective and why? 2. In what ways did the music and choreography help or hurt the storyline? 3. Did the pastiche strengthen or diminish the accessibility of Hamlet? ADVANCED PROMPTS 4. What were some of the missing elements from the original text of Hamlet? 5. By giving a scene by scene breakdown, what other possible well known bands could have been infused within the text of Hamlet? 6. How did the intertextuality affect specific demographics of audience response? (i.e., how did the expectations implied by the chosen actors, music, play, choreography, and culture, etc. affect whether something was understood and deemed comedic or not to different people in attendance? How does one s knowledge or insight into these different elements change the experience?)