This year's fall production at The Oakridge School, 'Hamlet,' played in front of enthralled audiences Oct. 4-6 in the Fine Arts Performance Hall of the John P. Flavin Fine Arts Center.
Benjamin Everett, a senior, took complete ownership of the titular role and gave us all a Hamlet we have never seen before-- imbuing the character with heated passion and a high dose of physicality. Harrison Jones and Anna MacGough, also seniors, gave strong performances as the King and Queen, respectively. Rosalind Krabbil, a junior, was also a standout, giving a heartbreaking performance as Ophelia. Another highlight was the action-packed second act wherein Garret Kundysek and Benjamin Everett wowed the audience with an intense sword fight that kept everyone on the edge of their seats.
"I honestly didn't think my students and I could top last year's fall play," said Brad DeBorde, Upper School Theatre Director. "But, they proved me wrong. This is, honestly, the best show to have graced the Oakridge stage... ever! I couldn't be more proud of these students."
In all, some 300-plus people attended the production over three nights. Many remarked that they were amazed by the acting, set design, costumes, and how well the students understood the difficult language of the 400-year-old Shakespearean play. "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark," commonly referred to simply as "Hamlet," is recognized as Shakespeare's most famous play and widely considered one of his greatest.
The next Oakridge theatre production will be in February of the Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical, State Fair.