'Fortinbras' puts spin on Shakespeare

By ANNIE CHAMBLISS
Staff Writer

The concept of the play "Fortinbras" can simply be summed up in the words of the title character: "I'm not here to finish their story, they were here to begin mine. It's a new perspective." The Theatre Palisades' production of "Fortinbras" definitely presents a new perspective to Shakespeare's classic play "Hamlet."

"Fortinbras" is an amusing twist on the classic tragedy of "Hamlet." The script contains jokes and subtle parodies referring to the original work. Those who are familiar with "Hamlet" will find "Fortinbras" to be a refreshingly witty new approach to Shakespeare's traditional work.

The show opens in sync with the original play as Hamlet utters his dying words in Elizabethan iambic pentameter. However, when Hamlet's cousin Fortinbras enters, the whole tone of the play is dramatically changed, as he bluntly asks, "What the heck happened here?"

Throughout the ensuing scenes, Horatio informs Fortinbras of the events which led to the death of the entire royal court and Fortinbras' subsequent new role as the king of Denmark.

Fortinbras thinks the story of the royal court's demise is too unbelievable, so for the sake of simplicity he decides to create a new story to explain the absurd events. Horatio, who still holds loyalty to Hamlet, refuses to go along with Fortinbras in creating a new explanation and becomes a nuisance to him.

Meanwhile, the ghosts of the deceased royal court begin to appear. In keeping with the theme of the play the ghosts act very differently from the characters they portrayed in the traditional version of "Hamlet." In death Polonius cannot speak, because in life he gave too much advice, none of which was heeded. Ophelia is a lustful vamp who seduces Fortinbras. Gertrude and Claudius are obsessed with repenting for the lustful sins they committed in life. Hamlet's ghost is trapped in a box due to his lack of decisive ability in life.

Fortinbras cannot escape the constant pestering of the ghosts, and he begins to act very deranged. The ghosts warn him of an impending doom. As it turns out, the impending doom is a duel with Horatio, which Fortinbras loses.

The script is clever and the dialogue offers an amusing parody of "Hamlet." At one point Fortinbras says, "Something about this castle makes me want to talk to myself. The minute I'm alone I just have to jabber," mocking the abundance of soliloquies in "Hamlet."

Another facetious situation occurs when Hamlet's ghost makes his mother apologize for lusting after him. This parodies the Freudian-based interpretation of "Hamlet" that many literary analysts have written about.

Each character has been transformed, which also lends to the humorous theme of the play. Osric, who was a courtier with a rather serious disposition in "Hamlet," has the character traits of a naive young boy in "Fortinbras." Horatio, who was Hamlet's friend and confidant in the original work, is portrayed in "Fortinbras" as an anal-retentive do-gooder.

However, some characters were changed for the worse, resulting in an irritating, rather than comical, affect. Ophelia, who was a tragic heroine in "Hamlet," is a blonde, giggling, sex-crazed harlot in "Fortinbras." Throughout the play she is giggling like a Valley girl and lusting after various men. There are also some miscellaneous characters that appear in several scenes but are superfluous to the plot.

"Fortinbras" is definitely a community theater production with some rough edges. The Theatre Palisades' Pierson Playhouse, where "Fortinbras" is playing, is a small venue seating no more than 50. However, it is a nice change to be in an intimate theatre setting where seating in the third row costs no more than $10.

"Fortinbras" is showing through Oct. 2, on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults on Sunday and Friday, $8 for seniors, and $6 for students. Prices are $2 more on Saturday. Theatre Palisades' Pierson Playhouse is located at Temescal Canyon Road and Haverford Avenue in Pacific Palisades. The theater's phone number is (310) 454-1970.

Copyright 1999 by the Daily Trojan. All rights reserved.
This article was published in Vol. 138, No. 06 (Wednesday, September 8, 1999), on page 11.