Q1 in LA and the Dramatists List

There are two groups that I would love to engage on this blog right now. One is Theater of Note in LA who did the Q1 Hamlet in 03 with Kathleen Irace (whose version we worked from) as their dramaturg. I have an email into them and they replied saying they would forward it to the director. I'd love to get some stories on their experience with it.

The other is the dramatists list serve which is a discussion list of mostly playwrights. They're going hot and heavy at Hamlet right now ("read the fucking play," "horseshit"...) mostly discussing whether the Ghost is real or a figment of Hamlet's imagination. Well, one guy is standing his ground saying it might be a figment and he's getting pummeled by everyone else. Pretty hilarious. It's cool the play can inspire so much passion.

Here again is where Q1 displays its simple elegance and where our production ups the ante: It leaves no doubt that it is an "honest ghost." In fact, it occurs to me now that the first Truth Hamlet elicits is, in fact, the Ghost's and from there on out he's on his crusade to get it from everyone else. But really that's the case in the Folio as well. Then by having the Ghost reside in Gertred -- "man and wife is one flesh" -- there's a trinity created by the end of the closet scene that then drives the play home. Hamlet is no longer alone. He has succeeded in reuniting his precious family which gives him strength.