The West Essex Masquers once again put on an outstanding fall production. The parody of the classic “Hamlet” was executed with energy and enthusiasm by the cast and earned many laughs throughout their two-night show.
“Hamlet” references have appeared at some point or another, but the show “Save Hamlet” presents a whole new story. “Save Hamlet” is a retelling of “Hamlet,” in which a group of women disguise themselves as the male guards to prevent the catastrophic ending and resolve the story peacefully.
Each casting choice was perfectly matched to its character. The guards, Bernadette (sophomore Eliana White) and Marcella (senior Sophie Bonaguide), brought laughs and perfectly executed fourth wall breaks that anchored the show’s humor. Francesca (senior Emma Casper) stole the performance with her different appearances as a guard, narrator, visitor to the king and spy. King Claudius (sophomore Declan Moynihan) and Queen Gertrude (senior Emmy Tavarez) were a comedic duo that commanded attention with every scene they were in. Moynihan’s portrayal of Claudius as an evil king with a New York accent was another memorable part of the show. Lastly, Hamlet (junior Daniel Viola) spends the entirety of the play trying to avenge his late father, the former king.
Some other notable characters were Polonius (junior Nicole Mandell), Laertes (junior Quinton Guerrieri) and Ophelia (junior Mina Wakeshima). Laertes gave the audience protective older-brother energy by continuously protecting those around him and shone in every pool noodle fight scene. Ophelia, Hamlet’s girlfriend, spent the play being fed up with her boyfriend’s mixed signals to the point where she eventually faked her own death and attended the funeral to watch his remorse gleefully. Polonius, the father of Laertes and Ophelia, is pronounced dead by his children after they become irritated with listening to his long lectures.
Small details put in the show helped make the production into the spectacle it was. Claudius, for example, was always eating a different piece of food in every single scene, regardless of whether he was speaking. In one scene after he murdered his brother, he prays for forgiveness while eating a banana.
While the story of “Hamlet” was frequently referenced, the Masquers embraced their roles with a creative spin and had fun with the production. Instead of the tragic ending of all characters being murdered in a sword fight, King Claudius is arrested while all the other characters survive just in time to avoid conflict from Fortinbras (sophomore Holly Hoffman). Fortinbras is the prince of Norway who came to avenge his father’s death.
What made the performance truly magical was the cast’s delivery of the lines. The audience could tell that every character was passionate about the play. Even with the cast staying in character through the most ridiculous of scenes, the audience could visibly see how much fun everyone was having. The countless rehearsals and preparations put into the production paid off, as “Save Hamlet” charmed the audience with its humorous plot and fresh take on Shakespeare’s well-known characters.
