EastLine Theatre Performs Hamlet at Huntington Summer Arts Festival

The EastLine Theatre continued their Long Island Tour of Hamlet at the Heckscher Park’s Chapin Rainbow StageonSaturday as part of the Huntington Summer Arts Festival.

This performance was a testament to minimalist and modern Shakespeare done right. A simple set of seven fold-out chairs accentuated the mystical and bright costumes by Lyn Adler-Ciorciari. Director Paul DeFilippo included just enough abridgments to clarify the plot without detracting from Hamlet’s classic soliloquies.

Ophelia, played by Megan Laguna, was refreshingly independent as she mocked her pompous father, Polonius, on stage and co-conspired with Hamlet. In a role that is typically framed as a doomed romantic, Laguna added new depth to her character through her wit and sarcasm. Laguna showcased her gorgeous alto voice during added musical interludes.

Claire Sanderson, who played Hamlet, leaned into his antic disposition. Showcasing his weakness only made the character ever more touching as he probes the point of his life in his soliloquies.

For some comedic relief, audiences could look to Polonius, portrayed by Micheal Sherwood. He played a windbag politician with gusto. At times, his hand gestures mirrored the kind you might recognize from comedian’s parodying Donald Trump and his trailing speech emphasized his foolish ignorance.

In the corner of the stage, John Brautigam accompanied the actor’s with an original score on his guitar. His presence evoked the feeling of wandering minstrels and a royal court on the stage. The only distraction came from the occasional audio glitches which have plagued performances at the Chapin Rainbow Stage this summer.

The Eastline Theatre will be performing Hamlet in Northport Library on July 20 and Amityville Beach on July 21 and 28th. The show is witty and magical. To see or not to see? In my opinion, it’s not even a question.

For more information about the production visit: https://eastlinetheatre.org/hamlet/