As the semester hits mid-stride at Diablo Valley College, Reed Martin, a director in the Drama Department and co-owner and artistic director of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, has returned to direct “The Comedy of Hamlet (a Prequel).”
The play, which runs March 20 to April 12, is a comedic reimagining of events leading up to William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, “Hamlet.” Tickets for the show are available at dvcdrama.net.
“Instead of the tragedy of Hamlet, it’s the comedy of Hamlet before the tragedy begins,” Reed explained.
The Reduced Shakespeare Company is a three-person theatrical comedy troupe that has been touring around the globe since 1981. Martin has co-written a majority of their plays, like “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged),” and “The Complete History of America (abridged).”
“This is the eleventh show the company has created, so I am very used to directing my own work,” Reed said.
“For student actors it’s unusual to be working with the playwright,” he added, so “it’s a great experience for the students to be able to say [they worked] with the playwright themselves.”
Robert Plattner, a 20-year-old student assistant director at DVC, said he appreciates that the play is being directed by one of its co-writers because it allows the original vision to shine through.
“What gets me excited is having it be directed by an original member of the show,” Plattner said. “Having that link to its premiere is really cool.”
“The Comedy of Hamlet (a Prequel)” offers an amusing interpretation of events in Denmark prior to what occurred in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”
“You don’t often get a ton of fun in Hamlet,” said Plattner, but “you get this breath of fresh air when you’re [watching] this show.”
“It’s a fun romp about seeing these characters before Hamlet.”
Third-year DVC drama student Emmett Smith, 21, plays the role of Hamlet in what is his third performance at DVC.
Asked how it feels to play the comedic lead, Smith replied, “I’m excited because it’s definitely going to be a challenge for me.”
“It relies heavily on physicality and it challenges me vocally, [but] it’s also really fun,” Smith said. “It’s a very comedic take on a timeless character.”
Third-year student Kristi Huckbee, 24, is part of the ensemble cast and in their fourth show at DVC.
“The characters I read for are very loud, obnoxious, [and] eccentric,” Huckbee said, providing “definitely comedic relief at times.”
“Hamlet is a very serious show,” they added, “but we see more of the playful side instead of the crazy side.”
Plattner agreed that it’s likely to get the audience cracking up.
“There are so few shows that you’re gonna be laughing in your seat,” Plattner said. “You’ll have a great time if you see it.”
Smith agreed, and emphasized that the cast is what makes the show.
“It’s a phenomenal cast, really funny, and it will guarantee a good time,” he said. “You will definitely not be bored.”