To be or not to be: A dose of Hamlet at MCS

Before you shuffle off this mortal coil, gird thy loins and shuffle off to this weekend’s production of Hamlet.

The live production of Mount Carmel School’s Hamlet will be staged on the evenings of May 13 and May 14 and marks the 18th production by the school’s Theatre Club.

“This is the club’s most ambitious project to date, but the pieces are falling into place, the lines are coming together, and the set is ready to go,” according to producer and director Galvin Guerrero.

Hamlet is Shakespear’s tale of a young prince of Denmark who is determined to avenge his father’s murder by Hamlet’s uncle. As Hamlet wrestles with his inner -demons, his friends and family are sucked into the whirlpool that has become his life, and the end result is pure tragedy.

The Mount Carmel cast has struggled to find their voices in preparing for this weekend’s production, but they have found them and learned a lot in the process.

As Letitia Cabrera, who stars as Hamlet’s girlfriend Ophelia, notes, “It was very difficult at first, but then I really started to appreciate the role. Her character is very diverse; she changes a lot. I’ve learned from her It’s difficult for her to always be perfect. You can’t please everyone, but you can always try your best.”

Cabrera’s comments are echoed time and time again by her fellow cast members, that the challenge of learning and examining their lines and characters have brought them closer not just to their fictional characters, but also to a part of themselves.

Polonius, Ophelia’s father, is portrayed by Cyd, who said “My role here is sort of the very overprotective father of Ophelia and Laertes. And since I’ve been playing a parent, and trying to work with lines on how to deal with children, I feel I can understand my Mom more. I can see where she’s coming from better when we argue.”

Vincent Aldan, who plays the title role of Hamlet, expressed similar sentiments about his understanding of Hamlet: “The biggest challenge is becoming Hamlet. I have to think like him, say things like him. Feel like him. I have to be someone else.”

Erlyn Dalan, in her debut as a set designer, has worked hard to arrange a stage that reflects the ever-present menace and treachery that haunts the play. Her four-color scheme, based in reds, black, and gray, recalls ideas of death in a vibrant manner.

“As set designer you design the set and you have to make sure everything is ok, make sure that everything in the set is mirroring what the story is telling. This is a great play, though, and it’s an honor to express myself through art. I hope the flow of the play is what we want it to be. I want it to be good. I hope it turns out as well as we expect.”

Caisha Sablan, in her first opportunity to direct a play also addressed some of the challenges she’s facing in her directorial debut: “It’s hard to find things to help the characters because for instance, today, we don’t know how Polonius should act in one scene. We’re looking for things to make him funnier. What makes Ophelia nuts? What makes Hamlet angry? You learn a lot of things; that’s rewarding. How to boss people around, I’m starting to get good at that. You also learn your weaknesses and strengths and how to direct. This is the mother of all plays.”

Stage manager Jackie Che also has some intense responsibilities as she makes sure that everyone knows where they need to be and when they need to be there. The nice thing, she says, is that, “I get to see people help each other and memorize lines, and when people drop back everyone else pushes them back into position.”

Tickets for Hamlet are only $5 and can be purchased from members of the Mount Carmel School Theatre Club, the Mount Carmel School Business Office, or at the door. Any questions can be referred to either Galvin Deleon Guerrero or Andrew McDonnell at 234-6184.