Gritty, Gutsy and Glorious: An Unforgettable ‘Hamlet’ for Today

Gritty, Gutsy and Glorious: An Unforgettable ‘Hamlet’ for Today

By Lynn Venhaus

An invigorating energy, combined with an intriguing neo-noir atmosphere, mark an unforgettable milestone production of William Shakespeare’s most famous work, “Hamlet” as this year’s 25th St. Louis Shakespeare Festival in Forest Park offering.

Director Michael Sexton’s novel interpretation is moody and minimalist, with scenic designer Scott C. Neale’s striking mid-century modern setting. Sexton follows through his stylistic vision with a noteworthy flair.

From the bold first appearance of King Hamlet’s ghost (Larry Paulsen), the prince’s father, one can sense we’re in for electric, thrilling storytelling, and these inspired choices bring out the best in the impressive ensemble.

Think the angsty howl of James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause” combined with Robert Pattinson’s emo rendering of tormented Bruce Wayne in “The Batman” for this new-age Hamlet. After all, no one out-broods this iconic prince of Denmark.

Raw, confrontational and reeling in emotional distress, Michael Khalid Karadsheh is mesmerizing as the boy – to the manner born — who comes home from college in Germany to learn of a “murder most foul.”

The play within a play. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

His father has been killed, and his mother Gertrude (Jennifer Ikeda) has married his uncle Claudius (Glenn Fitzgerald), who has seized the throne. He is the leading suspect in his stepson’s eyes and ever the manipulator, is trying to cast doubt on Hamlet’s stability.

“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark,” military sentry Marcellus (CB Brown) fears. Meanwhile, a war is brewing. Hamlet is a powder keg of emotion as he plunges into a downward spiral, suspecting corruption and abuse of power. A sense of foreboding is palpable.

Written around 1600, Shakespeare’s tragedy endures because of rich characters, complicated relationships and sharp observations about human nature. In the pastoral setting of Shakespeare Glen, the festival team blows the cobwebs off your English lit textbook with a fresh look at these Danish royals.

That includes a dynamic black, white, and red palette with shades of gray for unconventional statement designs – in Oana Botez’ functional, comfortable costumes (reminiscent of The Beat Generation and “Mad Men” wardrobes), Denisse Chavez’ atmospheric lighting emphasizing dramatic shadows, and Neale’s layered set. You won’t miss a palatial setting for Elsinore Castle.

Scott C. Neale’s striking set. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

The innovative dramatizing includes a versatile thrust stage (just like Shakespeare’s Old Globe) – 50 feet that juts from the standard proscenium stage. This allows for a more intimate connection with the actors.

And if you are waiting to be wowed by Hamlet’s soliloquies, Karadsheh’s emotional pleas are in optimum positions, and his commanding delivery of one of the most famous literary passages is a joy to behold. Drink every word in of the beautiful iambic pentameter.:

“To be, or not to be, that is the question
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep,
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to: ’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep;
To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub:
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause—there’s the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.“

Sarah Chalfie as Ophelia. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Consumed with guilt, rage and confusion, Hamlet is acting out, and not in a good way, alarming those closest to him. His mother sends for his Wittenberg University chums Rosencrantz (Mitch Henry-Eagles) and Guildenstern (CB Brown), hoping they can shed light on the situation.

His gal pal Ophelia (Sarah Chalfie) is scared, her brother Laertes (Grayson DeJesus) startled, their caring father Polonius – Claudius’ counselor – upset, and his best friend Horatio (Reginald Pierre) worried. It doesn’t help that he keeps seeing disturbing visions of his dad’s ghost.

Meanwhile, cunning Claudius is forcing power plays and mistrust to protect his secrets and lies. “That one may smile and smile and be a villain,” and Fitzgerald suits him well. Thus, Hamlet’s rebellion will bring more sadness, madness and losses.

Hamlet, Gertrude and Claudius. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Most of all, the regal Gertrude, dressed in elegant ballgowns and cocktail attire, symbolizes wealth and aristocracy. Ikeda, who appeared as Juliet here in the fest’s inaugural production, contrasts with the young characters representing the need to explore and discover, find their purpose while they question moral decay.  

Hamlet’s disgust at his mom’s choices couldn’t be clearer — “The lady protests too much, methinks.” He can’t get past what he perceives as her betrayal.

You know exactly where Hamlet is coming from when he tells Horatio: “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in our philosophy.” As Hamlet’s best friend, Reginald Pierre is a harmonious Horatio, his eloquence shines through, as he does in every Shakespeare role.

Pierre is masterful in delivering a heart-tugging “Goodnight, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!”

Gertrude, Hamlet. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Mark Nelson excels as busybody Polonius, who is doomed by his meddling. When he advises his son and daughter “To thine own self be true,” the audience erupted in applause.  He also delivers the often misquoted “Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.”

No matter how much he tries, he can’t save his emotionally bruised daughter, who can’t cope with losing her parent. Sarah Chalfie is outstanding in her robust portrayal of Ophelia, one of the best I’ve seen.

She’s no fragile flower, not the usual whiny or showing too ethereal qualities, and instead gives a fully formed rendering of a psychologically battered young woman raised to be sweet and pretty, but there’s an independence and intelligence that she brings out too.

In real life, Chalfie is responsible for helping to save the day when original cast member Vaughn Pole was injured and unfortunately needed to be replaced as Laertes. Chalfie knew actor Grayson DeJesus had played the part twice before, and he came to the rescue. Considering that he had only four hours’ rehearsal before opening night May 30 and was so vibrant on stage was a remarkable feat. His dexterity and fervor were exceptional.

Hamlet, Ophelia. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

The supporting roles are fluidly handled by Max Fiorello, Daisy Held, Charlie Mathis and Ryan Omar Stack. Henry-Eagles and Brown also capably play another role other than their sharp preppies Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and Larry Paulsen is also effective as the gravedigger, in addition to the fatherly spirit.

The presentation’s nifty flourishes in no way overshadow the passionate performances, for this tight ensemble rises to the occasion – it’s lucid, riveting and rhythmic in a way that the audience leans into the gripping action and the heartfelt agony.

Another outstanding addition to this year’s set is an eye-popping moving, motorized room that rolls up and down the stage on tracks, especially in the pivotal Polonius eavesdropping scene.

Perhaps music personifies this tale more than any other staged in recent years – although fine local musicians have added such gorgeous sounds in the previous comedies ‘As You Like It,” “Twelfth Night,” “Much Ado About Nothing” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Music director/Composer Brandon Wolcott’s jazzy score played by East St. Louis trumpeter Brady Lewis is an integral part of the storytelling,. and recorded music sets the cinematic tone and heightens the ominous tension that builds in intensity.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, talk to Hamlet, center. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Special mentions to choreographer Sam Gaitsch for her 50s ultra-cool dance moves, Zev Steinrock for his taut fight choreography, Laura Skroska as the key props master, stage manager Sarah Luedloff and assistant stage manager Britteny Henry for their brisk work, producer Colin O’Brien and assistant director Heather Anderson for assuring that all the elements come together in fine fashion.

This nontraditional dark adaptation is refreshing because its artistic accomplishments feel organic, and its collaborative creatives and cast dazzle without artifice for a truly enthralling evening. The play’s the thing! A haunting and hypnotic “Hamlet” starts the summer off with an exclamation point, and more is in store from St Louis Shakespeare Festival — with “Romeo and Zooliet,” the touring company’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in 34 parks and an original St. Louis Shake in the Streets in East St. Louis.

St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents “Hamlet” May 28 through June 22, nightly at 8 p.m. except Mondays in Forest Park’s Shakespeare Glen (near Art Museum). Admission is free but special seating is available for a fee. For more information, visit www.stlshakes.org

Laertes and Hamlet fence. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Bloody Horror-Comedy ‘The Monkey’ is Entertaining and Nihilistic

Bloody Horror-Comedy ‘The Monkey’ is Entertaining and Nihilistic

By Alex McPherson

Featuring outrageous kills and directorial craft, Osgood Perkins’ “The Monkey” is a nihilistic experience that undermines its potential through a reliance on hit-or-miss dark comedy — substituting emotional connection for blunt-force laughter and smug pessimism about the state of humanity.

Based on the short story by Stephen King, Perkins’ film begins with pilot Petey Shelborn (Adam Scott) attempting to return the titular drum-playing toy monkey to an antiques shop, but not having much success (the shop’s owner meets a grisly end, to put it mildly). Petey takes a flamethrower to the little rascal, but the monkey doesn’t give up so easily.

Years later, in 1999, Petey’s young children, identical twins Hal and Bill (both played by Christian Convery) are living with their mother (Tatiana Maslany), with Petey no longer in the picture. Hal is the more sensitive, soft-spoken one, whereas Bill is a popular, immature bully, often humiliating his brother at school. 

While looking through their father’s belongings one random day, the boys find the monkey, and things start to get tragic. Hal and Bill are unnerved but intrigued by this creepy contraption. They wind the key on the monkey’s back, watch its mouth open into a toothy grin, and see its drumstick spin theatrically.

The boys have absolutely no idea that, when the monkey starts to play the drum that evening, accompanied by circus music, their babysitter will get decapitated at a Teppanyaki restaurant. 

Everyone is shocked by the suddenness and brutality of the death (including the priest at her funeral service, who stumbles through his sermon in darkly funny fashion), but Hal — who feels like the monkey is watching and stalking him at any given moment — suspects he knows who, or what, is behind it.

And, after being humiliated yet again at school, Hal sees a chance to get the revenge he’s craved his whole life against Bill. But the monkey doesn’t take requests, resulting in further tragedies that tear the family apart, and in the monkey being thrown into a nearby well, hopefully never to be heard again.

Flash forward 20 years, and the all-grown-up, at least physically, Hal (now played by Theo James) is a deadbeat dad estranged from his son, Petey (Colin O’Brien), drifting through life without much enthusiasm or purpose.

When their kooky Aunt Ida (Sarah Levy) meets a demise of R-rated “Looney-Tunes” proportions, Bill (also played by James) contacts Hal out of the blue to reveal that, yes, the monkey is back for more bloody shenanigans, and there’s no running away this time.

Perkins, who directed last year’s “Longlegs,” has a knack for creating unsettling worlds where violence could occur at any point. “The Monkey,” though, represents a stylistic departure in terms of its cartoonish, deadpan instincts that encourage viewers to laugh at the carnage — it’s best viewed in a packed theater with viewers willing to go along with its warped sense of humor. 

Without real emotional connection, however, “The Monkey” eventually wears out its welcome by not fully exploring its themes and presenting characters that are difficult to latch onto amid Perkins’ devilishly sardonic tendencies.

Indeed, there’s definitely merit to the off-kilter, desensitized world that Perkins depicts here, and the skillful ways he crafts suspense through patient camera movements and editing that jolts and amuses in equal measure.

The film plays with expectations and takes obvious glee in putting the story’s hapless characters in harrowing situations where, should that monkey kick into gear, their fates are essentially sealed. 

The kills are memorably gory throughout, usually ending in exploding limbs and showers of blood. The bulk of the film’s crowd-pleasing entertainment value comes from watching what elaborate scenario Perkins concocts for us next; he encourages us to laugh at the craziness, which ensures “The Monkey” is never boring.

Perkins doesn’t spend time delving into the monkey’s origins or how it came to focus on Hal and his family. It’s a smiling, omnipresent manifestation of death, fueled by hatred of the Other and remaining ambiguous in its targets — except that it never chooses the one who winds the key. This idea is compelling, as is the film’s timely perspective on continuing to live amid the anarchy in whatever way we can and break cycles of trauma.

The film’s main issues stem from a lack of strong characterization, especially as the screenplay resorts to third-act exposition dumps (also a flaw in “Longlegs”), and tends to undercut its fleeting moments of sincerity with blood-spattered punchlines that leave little room for reflection. Perkins ultimately takes the easy way out rather than thoughtfully engaging with the story’s themes.

The ensemble — Maslany and James especially — do what they can to add extra layers to their characters through their easy charisma and ability to convey unspoken pain, but there’s no escaping the film’s exhaustingly snarky sensibilities.

It’s apparent that “The Monkey” is deeply personal to Perkins, who experienced unimaginable family tragedy himself. But regardless of how he and this film use humor as a deflection from trauma, it creates a distancing effect that numbs and dilutes the film’s messages and, finally, lessens the impact of its twistedly hopeful ending. 

At the end of the day, “The Monkey” is a strange beast — defiantly marching to the beat of its own sinister drum but seemingly forgetting to give its characters the same attention. 

“The Monkey” is a 2025 horror-comedy thriller directed and written by Osgood Perkins. It stars Theo James, Christian Convery, Tatiana Maslany, Adam Scott, Sarah Levy and Colin O’Brien. Rated R for strong bloody violent content, gore, language throughout and some sexual references and runs for 1 hour, 38 minutes. It opened in theaters March 7. Alex’s Grade: B-,