Hamlet, unquestionably one of William Shakespeare's greatest masterpieces, is an intimidating piece for any theater group to attempt. Clocking in at well over two hours even with the most common abridgements, its daunting scale of complex emotions is harrowing indeed. Because of this, I approached Hold Thy Peace's rendition of Hamlet both hopeful and apprehensive. Ultimately, however, while the actors were capable of unleashing powerful waves of anguish and pain that left the audience stunned, my enjoyment of the overall production was marred by stylistic and technical decisions that sucked the emotional impact away.The performances were fantastic across the board. Frances Kimpel '10 stood out as a fiery and intense Hamlet. Her expressions, contortions and dramatic pauses supplemented onstage action with an internal monologue of torment. She effortlessly brought to light the deep philosophical nuances of Shakespeare's text. In her capable hands, Hamlet's strained deliberation seemed real. Of particular poignancy was the scene during which Hamlet watches as his murderous uncle, Claudius (Jared Hite '10), prays for absolution from his sins, and Hamlet contemplates whether he should take revenge at that moment. Both Hite and Kimpel filled this scene with fantastic longing for salvation and redemption. In her notes inside the playbill, director Phoebe Roberts '09 emphasized that she views the tale as one in which "at the center of the maelstrom are our two clashing foes." This metaphor properly mirrors the emotions felt by both and fulfills her vision.

Other standout performances include Shira Straus' '11 maniacal and energetic take on the tragic lover Ophelia. At first, she portrays the character with such sincere sweetness that when she crashes over the edge into suicidal despair, it feels like a true transformation. Additionally, The fact that the actresses playing Ophelia and Gertrude (Amy Klesert '09) both had fiery red hair fueled interesting symbolism in a play often analyzed as having Oedipal undertones.

However, the failures of this production are also glaring. Hold Thy Peace must be commended for its attempt to lend modern meaning to the show by linking the psychological breakdowns and ruminations of the characters to the contemporary goth-punk world of angst. However, when a play that Roberts describes as "so nuanced, so complex and blessed with that Shakespearean timelessness" is paired with the banal world of gothic angst, both are cheapened.

Speaking with friends after the show, I heard the costume design described as if "Hot Topic threw up on Hamlet," and I have to concur with this assessment. The problem arises during the intersection between a commercial culture ultimately shaped by a sense of unified alienation and the depth of expression inherent in the words of the Bard. There is true mismatch here. Identifying Hamlet's timeless ruminations on suicide and the nature of one's legacy with a cheap culture that is devoid of meaning is degrading to the play.

What is further upsetting is the use of generic nü-metal music such as Staind and Marilyn Manson between scene changes. While emotionally these songs do fit the angsty and brooding feel of the show, they ultimately distract and distance the viewer from the material at hand. One only needs to compare the brilliant ruminations of Hamlet in his famous soliloquy, "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-" to the emotionless and limpid groaning of Staind's lead singer Aaron Lewis when he bemoans "The consequences that I've rendered, I've gone and fucked things up again. Why must I feel this way/Just make this go away. Just one more peaceful day." It is clear that this insipid music can only ruin the mood and kill any true catharsis. This may seem like a minor gripe, but with the number of scene changes that Hamlet has, this was a constant thorn in the side of my enjoyment, and some of these songs were actually repeated several times, furthering my annoyance.

Overall, the production of Hamlet presented a strange and perhaps profound question to the viewer. Is it worthwhile "to grunt and sweat under a weary" exhibition of all that is wrong in '90s goth culture in order to have, as the Bard says, "The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to"?