by John Quinn

Article:9692; Posted: May 11, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.

With a wink and a nod, Theatre Initiative takes a creative leap beyond Peter Weiss’ experiment in insanity, “Marat/Sade,” as the company deconstructs William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Note that when a five-act Elizabethan tragedy is cut to a little over ninety minutes, it is the first clue there’s a whole lot of deconstruction going on. But this “Hamlet”, rather than echo The Bard’s reflection, “. . . the play’s the thing . . .” accentuates process over performance. And that process is immensely effective.

“Hamlet” is the collective endeavor of nine actresses under the direction of Bailey Boudreau and Steve Xander Carson. Yes, I wrote actresses. The cast features Luna Alexander in the title role, as well as Kaitlyn Valor Bourque, Maya Gangadharan, Laura Heikkinen, Jennifer Jolliffe, Egla Kishta, Kez Settle, Kazzy Skoretz, Victoria Rose Weatherspoon. We are to imagine ourselves as the honored guests of the Elsinore Women’s Asylum where Doctors Clark (Joliffe) and Carrol (Settle) are using theater as a method of determining which patient may be recovered enough to release. In order to better gauge their personalities and reactions (and channeling the Initiative’s creative process in developing this production), the women have chosen how to portray their characters, what plot devices and lines to retain, and which one’s to eliminate.

There is the key to reducing Shakespeare to a hundred minutes. His “Hamlet” is rife with themes; murder and assassination, intrigue and deception among them. Here, the artists concentrate on one strong theme – suicide. This is not Shakespeare Lite, it’s Shakespeare 2.0.

Some of the performances are mind-bending, as well as gender-bending. Luna Alexander’s “Harriet,” who plays Hamlet, is a disturbing psychological mess. Edgy, easily distracted, at times wild-eyed, she keeps her audience off balance. The character is unpredictable, even sliding at one point from “Hamlet” into “As You Like It.” Thus, we eventually come to an “I shoulda seen that one coming” moment that’s still a surprise.

“Melanie,” as envisioned by Maya Cameron, is another easily distracted, easily excitable patient, and her melodramatic Polonia serves as comic foil. She, along with Kassy Skoretz, who plays “Horatia,” slightly edge the rest of the cast in developing original characters well within the playwright’s intent. They are compelling examples of clarity, even if the performances are set in a madhouse.

Laura Heikkinen and Kaitlyn Valor Bourque, playing Gertrude and “Claudia,” are suitably aloof but may be too icy given the hot emotional context. It is particularly noticeable as they engage the rebellious Hamlet; it would appear that they are helpless in the face of his contempt. Victoria Rose Weatherspoon doesn’t have as much stage time as the others; as in the original play, “Laertes” is overseas and only returns in time to avenge his father’s and sister’s deaths – and meet her own demise. Shakespeare buffs who are familiar with the courtly ballet staged as the duel between Laertes and Hamlet better prepare for a shock. The scene becomes a gory bloodbath when fought by two insane women armed with a loaded hypodermic syringe. This is a visceral, eye-and-mind-opening experience, perfectly in keeping with Slipstream’s desire for an “immersive experience” and a recurring taste for the macabre in their work.

Lest I leave out the company’s Ophelia, let us just say that Egla Kishta “Anna” may be the most disturbed character in the play. There is a haunting vacancy behind her eyes that can make the hair on the back of your neck tingle.

Boudreau and Carson, as well as technical designer Ryan Ernst, had their work cut out for them adapting the un-air conditioned (dress appropriately) Hazel Park storefront that serves as their summer home into what may be one of the smallest local venues since The Mix opened in Ypsilanti. It may well be the first production I’ve seen lit by overhead fluorescents. There is a method to the madness here, and it’s not another “All the world’s a stage” rant. Companies like Slipstream, and, starting next season The Abreact, are increasingly itinerant; coming full circle to the days when theater meant, “Have play, will travel.” But their work is not what theater was, it’s what theater is becoming. And there are surprises around every corner.

96 minutes, no intermission

SHOW DETAILS:
Hamlet
Slipstream Summer Home, 20937 John R. Rd, Hazel Park
May 10–June 7, 2015; Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 7:00 p.m.
Price: $10
248.298.9617
www.SlipstreamTI.com