Visiting Performance: Hamlet Review

This past April, Niskayuna High School's English Department invited students of all grade levels to experience Shakespeare’s Hamlet—an engaging theatrical performance that left an impression on all in attendance. While the production showcased creative interpretations and interactive moments, certain elements of the perfromance made parts of the play a bit difficult to follow and understand.

Overall, I enjoyed the performance, but found it challenging to distinguish characters from one another as each actor played multiple parts. Anecdotally, it made it more difficult to separate the characters and remember each of them. The audience participation was enjoyable and I think that helped make the story of Hamlet more accessible to the audience, as we were included in the perfromance, adding renewed depth to their depiction. Due to the Shakespearean language and small amount of the performers, I wish I had a copy of the book with me to make the dialogue a little more comprehensible. In general, I had the gist of what was happening, but I didn’t understand the full significance or deeper meaning of each character. Additionally, the fast pace made some moments feel overlooked or unimportant, even when they were later revealed to be key to the plot, which caused some confusion for me.

Nonetheless, the production’s strengths outweighed its weaknesses. I truly admire the actors' ability to "wear many hats", as the saying goes, and memorize the play in its entireity. The lively atmosphere and cast’s ability to pull the audience into their world made for a truly memorable experience. I hope Nisky can experience something like this again in the future. Bravo!