Arkansas Rep Presents HAMLET, 10/29

An unrequited ghost, a conflicted prince, a kingdom in chaos: something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Shakespeare's dark tale of power and lust, murder and vengeance is regarded by many as the most influential work ever written for the stage.
 
Rep Producing Artistic Director Bob Hupp directs his version of Hamlet in October as the second installment of Arkansas Repertory Theatre's 35th season. It's the fourth time Hupp has been involved with the production.
 
"The subtlety, the nuance, the contradiction, the complexity of the character is unprecedented. I don't know that there's another character that's been created in literature-any literature-that is as complex and rich and speaks to people of every era of every walk of life the way the character of Hamlet does," Hupp says.
 
"This sort of revenge tragedy is one of the singular stories ever told in Western literature. There's always another Hamlet to explore, there's always something to think about or contradict or agree with," Hupp continues. "Every word that you read, you can find something in your own culture, in your own era that makes it timeless."
 
Hupp says he wants the play to be entertaining, fast-paced, challenging and interesting, but says it's not a director's job to wrap it all up in a bow.
 
"I like it to be a little more rough around the edges, a little more ambiguous, and let people draw their own conclusions. That's what makes theatre fun: you can come to your own conclusions," Hupp says. "You can hear the story and depending on your own perspective and your own experiences, you're going to take away something different. A good play will do that... speak to different people differently."
 
Avery Clark, who attended high school in Fort Smith and college in Fayetteville at the University of Arkansas before moving to New York to work as a professional actor, is joining The Rep cast as what he calls the "cerebral, melancholy, witty, vengeful and charming" Hamlet.
 
"The character and the story of Hamlet is so intricately woven into the very fabric of our culture, you really owe it to yourself to see it," Clark says. "It is much more than a simple revenge story that ends with a stage floor littered with bodies. But rather, it is the story of family and friends, of loss and growing up, of love, of grief and sacrifice, of faith versus fate, of forgiveness, and ultimately acceptance."
 
Clark has portrayed Hamlet before, but says it wasn't just this particular role that drew him to the production. He also jumped at the chance to work at Arkansas Repertory Theatre. "I believe this is the third time that I've auditioned for Bob, it just so happens that Hamlet was the first audition I booked," Clark says. "I am incredibly excited to be working at Arkansas Rep, not only because it is the theater I grew up watching professional theater, but also because I have quite a few friends that have worked at the Rep that have spoken very highly of the production, the experience, and working for Bob as well as the rest of the team."
 
The Hamlet cast includes 16 actors, with rehearsals beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 5. The production will include an original score by Composer Ellen Mendal, who has written music for over fifty plays at theaters across New York City. She created music for Rep productions of Rough Crossing, Proof, The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet. Original set design and construction will be created and managed by Set Designer and Technical Director Mike Nichols, with props design by Properties Designer Lynda J. Kwallek, while costume design by Margaret McKowen and costume creation by The Rep costume shop is currently ongoing. The production will open on Oct. 29, with two public previews including preshow discussions with Hamlet Director and Rep Producing Artistic Director Bob Hupp scheduled for Oct. 27 and Oct. 28.