We first saw Much Ado About Nothing, which director Gaby Rodriguez has placed in a contemporary setting, with the backdrop of a block party to welcome back the returning soldiers. The best use of the setting was having Dogberry (Tarah Flanagan), Verges, and the Watch as the Neighborhood Watch, giving those characters a reason to be nosing around the proceedings and observing what the main characters are incapable of seeing. Flanagan's Dogberry leads the young actors playing Verges (Marina Narvaez alternating with Ruth Civettini) and the Watch (Izzy Heckman alternating with Morwyn Johnson) through the proceedings but makes the most of her defining speeches.
Melissa Maxwell as Beatrice, Will Sturdivant as Benedick, Emily Fury Daly as Hero, and Diana Coates as Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing. Photo by Dan Norman. |
Tarah Flanagan as Hamlet. Photo by Benjamin Boucvalt. |
Flanagan's Hamlet, from the very start of the play, is a very young man coping with grief over his father's death and his mother, Gertrude's, rapid remarriage to Claudius, brother to the late King Hamlet and uncle to the young man. Hamlet feels this relationship is a betrayal of his father, so he is very susceptible when asked by the ghost of his father to avenge his murder.
Gertrude and Claudius are played by Maxwell and Sturdivant, in a relationship far different from the one they play in Much Ado. Sturdivant's Claudius is commanding and no-nonsense, clearly capable of fratricide. Maxwell's Gertrude defers to her new husband, and seems almost beaten down by him. In contrast to others who have played the role as a woman who craves power above all, Maxwell sometimes appears to want to speak to and comfort her son. It's an interesting portrayal that I wish I'd seen more of, but I'm not sure if the full uncut script would give Gertrude any opportunity to connect with Hamlet.
Most of the company play multiple roles again, all ably. Emily Fury Daly makes a haunting impression as Ophelia, confused by Hamlet's mercurial affections and later driven mad. Her breakdown is complete and affecting. But above all, this is Flanagan's play. She portrays all of Hamlet's moods without making him morose and showing real humor when confessing that she "knows a hawk from a handsaw."
This production of Hamlet is a must-see. The spare scenery, but gorgeous design, and the skilled, subtle work of director Doug Scholz-Carlson all serve Flanagan's singular performance.
In addition to the two plays presented in rep, Great River Shakespeare Festival always adds a little extra in their festivals. You can see post-show talkbacks on Thursday and join the cast and other theatergoers for ice cream after the show on Friday and Saturday nights. We love the Sunday morning company conversations, held at Blooming Grounds coffee shop, where the cast and creatives dig deep into issues around the plays and their process. And don't forget to arrive early to see their acting apprentices perform short scenes and give some insight into the plays.
Winona is a charming town, a lovely two-hour drive from the Twin Cities, and the plays are some of the best theater you'll see all year. If only the cute bookstores downtown were open on Sundays! Still, a lovely summer theater road trip and one we highly recommend!