Whittled-down 'Hamlet' proves rich with talent

The cast capably handles the difficult roles.
By GUY D'ASTOLFO
VINDICATOR ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Jonathan Edward Yurco gives a masterful turn as the lead character in YSU Theater's production of "Hamlet."
But the tight working script might be an even more compelling reason to see this version of Shakespeare's timeless tragedy.
Director Dennis Henneman, dramaturge Timothy Francisco and Christopher Martin, a professional Shakespearean actor-director, collaborated in boiling down the play.
The result is a tight and lively piece of theater that comes in at just over two hours, including an intermission. Every irrelevant political subplot has been discarded, leaving behind just the juicy story of assassination and revenge in the royal court of Denmark.
In its original version, "Hamlet" takes between four and five hours to perform.
While the Youngstown State triumvirate's script eliminates pages of text, it retains the dozens of famous phrases that have worked their way into the language. In fact, the condensed script has the effect of concentrating the sumptuousness of the Bard's writing.
For lovers of Shakespeare, it's like eating a bowl of Handel's praline-pecan ice cream -- with extra pralines. Every bite is rich, but a truly sublime treat turns up every few minutes.
The movie-length run time also reduces the number of roles, and in doing so, heightens the focus on the main characters.
The cast
It's no small task to deliver wordy Elizabethan-era lines with proper expression and timing. But -- not surprisingly -- the talented student-actors of YSU rise to the challenge.
Yurco's comfort with and knowledge of his critical role becomes apparent in his first soliloquy, in which the tormented and brooding Prince Hamlet laments that his mother, Queen Gertrude, has married his uncle, Claudius, scarcely two months after his beloved father, the former king, has died.
Yurco captures Hamlet's sharp tongue and quick wit, and gets stronger as the play progresses.
Elizabeth Rubino is also superlative as Queen Gertrude: soft and regal, but clear of voice. And Anthony Scarsella is a natural Claudius, the evil and conspiring usurper who is brother to the former king.
Gary Shackleford and Nicole Dionisio, who play Laertes and Ophelia, ably morph their once-happy characters into rage and madness. The sword-fighting practice that Shackleford and Yurco must have put in pays off in the flawless duel between Laertes and Hamlet.
The Ghost is played with somber spookiness by Vijay K. Welch.
The play is not without humor.
Bernard J. Wilkes brings out the comedy inherent in his character, the long-winded Polonius. And Nathan Beagle and Richard Bell, as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, convey transparency with exceedingly pleasant mannerisms that mirror each other. It's like they have one mind.
While each cast member tackles his role with vigor, special mention has to go to David Munnell's Grave Digger. I'll bet the actor who played this part in the premiere hundreds of years ago looked quite similar.
The staging
The costuming, music and set can all be described the same: attractive but unobtrusive, and existing solely to keep the focus on the players.
The costumes are sharp and appear to place the time frame in the 1800s, while the music is limited to mood-heightening atmospherics. Castle walls serve as a backdrop.
"Hamlet" will be performed at 8 p.m. tonight, March 2 and March 3; and at 3 p.m. Sunday and March 4, in Ford Theater in Bliss Hall, on Wick Avenue on the YSU campus. Call (330) 941-3105 for tickets.