Philadelphia Weekly

In the minds of many theatergoers, the name Hamlet evokes vague memories of high school boredom. But in the Lantern Theater Company’s thrilling production of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, preconceived notions are quickly set aside.

Directed by the company’s artistic director Charles McMahon, the Lantern’s production is anything but dull. In fact, it may be the most exciting three hours you’ll spend in a theater this year.

Much of the production’s success can be attributed to the performance of Geoff Sobelle in the title role.

Best known for his work with Pig Iron Theatre Co. and his own troupe rainpan 43, Sobelle is an adept physical performer and he instills Hamlet with a vitality he often lacks in lesser productions.

Swinging, jumping, prancing and running over, under and around Dirk Durossette’s multilevel set of platforms and scaffolding, Sobelle’s Hamlet is a man of action. Equal parts Errol Flynn and Sherlock Holmes, he’s a swashbuckling supersleuth with charm to burn. He’s prone to profound mood swings, but that only adds to his unpredictability.

Although Hamlet’s path to revenge results in the deaths of four bystanders (and that’s before we get to the climatic duel that leaves Denmark in ruins and the stage strewn with bodies), he’s so witty and full of life that we can’t help but adore him.

The original Hamlet is a reworking of a mindless but popular form of drama known as “revenge tragedy.” Most revenge tragedies are content with simplistic characters involved in all manner of bloodletting. What makes Hamlet brilliant is that Shakespeare wasn’t satisfied with the form’s limitations. Instead of a simple crowd-pleaser he fashioned a timeless tale that investigates Hamlet’s (and our own) desire to control his destiny. Hamlet’s murderous uncle Claudius shares his nephew’s objective and their clash of wills make Lantern’s production a dramatic barnburner.

McMahon takes an ensemble approach to the play, and the entire cast is exemplary. Often dully portrayed as a stately royal couple, Joe Guzman and Mary Martello play Claudius and Gertrude as self-absorbed, horny newlyweds. Guzman’s Claudius is immoral and deceitful, but he’s not inhuman, and when Hamlet catches him praying, Guzman effectively portrays the depth of Claudius’ guilt.

Martello is one of the area’s top musical theater performers, but here she displays deft dramatic skills, adroitly conveying Gertrude’s conflicting emotions as a woman who loves both her son and the uncle he abhors.

Equally fine is Tim Moyer’s performance as Polonius. A dishonest but savvy politician, Polonius has become blind to his own hypocrisy. He advises his son Laertes (Andrew Kane in a commendable performance) to treasure integrity (“to thy own self be true”) but simultaneously instructs his daughter Ophelia (the heartbreaking Melissa Dunphy) to deny her heart and resist Hamlet’s advances.

McMahon’s staging doesn’t get hung up on philosophical musings or long moments of quiet introspection. Swiftly paced and intellectually stimulating, McMahon presents the play as a gripping mystery, and from the moment Horatio (the excellent Dan Hodge) informs Hamlet that his father’s ghost has been seen, the production never takes a breath. Similarly, instead of a weighty exploration of suicide, Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” soliloquy emerges as a preamble to murder as Hamlet conceals a weapon in anticipation of killing Claudius.

In America an excellent production of Shakespeare is about as rare as Rush Limbaugh celebrating a liberal ideal. Lantern is the city’s most consistent producer of the Bard’s work; Hamlet marks its 10th production of a Shakespeare play. The company has had many successes, among them its innovative take on The Comedy of Errors and McMahon’s vivid staging of Richard III. But Hamlet is a cut above.

Featuring J. Alex Cordaro’s brutal and balletic fight choreography and a group of supremely talented designers (Drew Billiau’s atmospheric lighting, Brian Strachan’s creative costumes and Nick Rye’s roaring sound design are all magnificent), the Lantern’s Hamlet is one of the season’s top achievements. The show has been extended a week, but don’t delay. Productions of this quality don’t come along very often.