Shakespeare & Company, Lenox, MA
www.shakespeare.org
August 13 – 30, 2026
by Shera Cohen
August 13 – 30, 2026
by Shera Cohen
Don’t be fearful of Shakespeare’s plays. Yes, “Hamlet” is often a tough one to understand, perhaps the most dramatic in the Bard’s repertoire. Give it a chance to do what Hamlet asks his fellow characters, “What a piece of work is man?”He questions what is it that makes the human condition? These characters on stage represent all sorts of personalities, each possessing a different background and carrying their own joys and heartache.
It might be unfair to compare numerous theatres’ productions of “Hamlet”. Yet, it is easy to say that this version of the classic is extremely accessible, and no one within one hour’s distance of the Berkshires should hesitate to experience a brilliant play which would undoubtedly make William Shakespeare proud.
Not that director Ariel Bock can do no wrong because she is one of the longest permanent residents in the company, but it seems that way. She is a woman who knows the skills of her players and they know Bock’s expectations, perhaps because nearly all of the cast and crew members are already part of the S&Co. team.
The short version of the plot? Young Prince Hamlet of Denmark is summoned home upon the death of his father, to find that his mother, only two months a widow, has married her husband’s brother/husband’s murderer. This tortures Hamlet; he vows to the ghost of his deceased father that he will right this wrong. Simultaneously, the country is in the midst of a war, a minor storyline. Important, however, is the new king’s reconciliation with murder, the queen’s abandonment of her son, and Hamlet’s feigned repulsion of his true love.
“ranney,” (King Claudius) becoming a S&Co. regular, is at ease spouting the Elizabethan tongue as he is with a southern accent in numerous August Wilson dramas as of late. Kristin Wold (Queen Gertrude, another S&Co. stalwart), plays a confused yet powerful wife; at the same time the epitome of an uncaring mother.
David Gow is our Hamlet. He doesn’t just act as Hamlet but becomes (is) Hamlet. He’s young, handsome, trim, and sprite. His physical attributes show his ability to recoil in an embryo-like position as well as his agility swinging on high-beam bars. Gow portrays an infant, then a boy, because he is not yet a man ready to avenge his father. He takes his character of Hamlet to the core of his being, both in his mad and/or feigned mad scenes. Almost at the same time, he becomes scary and primitive, and in an instant gentle and juvenile. This is definitely an actor to watch.
Whoever thought that there is laugh-out-loud humor in “Hamlet”? Probably no one. While the language is the same, whether performed in London in the 16th century or at S&Co. in Lenox in 2026, this production delves into the psyche of each character intensely. And, who knew, that without embellishment of the script, oftentimes it is quite funny. Of course, every drama has its own clowns; in this case Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Hamlet’s friends), and the ever-put-upon Polonius/Gravedigger, played by Jonathan Epstein. The former is a well-meaning but dim old man, the latter an undertaker with a sharp wit.
There are many tech staffers to congratulate. To single out one would be Kevin Coleman (another S&Co. leader), fight choreographer. Act II calls for a lengthy and tricky sword fight between Hamlet and Laertes. Never underestimate the seriousness of swordplay. There are too many horror stories. Coleman creates realistic choreography for those in battle.
The length of the production 500+ years ago was probably over 4-hours. Not to worry, S&Co. always makes judicious edits, sometimes omitting extraneous characters; nothing and no one of importance is cut. In fact, this method of trimming the fat helps make “Hamlet” and all the dramas and history plays much easier for today’s audiences to appreciate the stories.
