What I liked
The concept of this piece is a giant breath of fresh air. The piece is centered around three literary classic’s Hamlet, Lolita, and the Great Gatsby. It delves into the live of characters that are typically considered secondary.
After watching this play, I was stunned to realize that even the titular character of Lolita is not flushed out and fully embodied, but rather, could really be considered a chauvinistic representation of sexuality, not constructed by the author to reflect the personality of Humbert but rather a reflection of the author’s opinion of women and of society’s at large.This is the territory that this play explores. It make a poignant point that within what we consider literary classics seldom is there a female character whose singular purpose is not just to further the plot for the “important” male characters. However the play is not this one point. It removes these three characters into from their repressive setting and allows them to speak, independent of their circumstances, for the first time.
Most intriguing was Ophelia from Hamlet. She’s portrayed as a conscious actor within the landscape of Hamlet’s story. She is always aware of her part and of the eventuality of her suicide. However she looks forwards to this moment for it is a brief pause from the servitude to her father and the other men who dictate her every move. When she is momentarily removed from the story of Hamlet, she finds herself free from this servitude and thusly free from her madness. She finds new meaning for life and new purpose. She recognizes her kinship with these other literary outcasts and sees that when she reenters her old world renewed and in solidarity with them, they may be able to create change. Sophia Brackenridge’s portrayal of Ophelia was fierce. She is clearly is a well trained actress and I was very impressed with her work throughout. I would love to see her take on the great role in a production of Hamlet, bringing in everything shes learned from this experience.
What I didn't like
My overall impression
I was surprised by the relevance and the passion of the actor’s. I will definitely encourage all to watch this play.