‎"Sir, in my heart there was a kind of fighting,
That would not let me sleep: methought I lay
Worse than the mutines in the bilboes. Rashly,
And praised be rashness for it, let us know,
Our indiscretion sometimes serves us well,
When our deep plots do pall: and that should teach us
There's a divinity that shapes our ends,
Rough-hew them how we will,"--Hamlet

 Each 10^th grader in my British Literature class was blessed by the recent performance of Hamlet at the Gamut Theatre in Strawberry Square. We were accompanied by Christine Walter and Jesse Hake, and it is my belief that they, additionally (and not surprisingly), were blessed. I will of course leave the forum to welcome their commentary.

"There's a divinity that shapes our ends," a voice for our vainly articulated mutterings, a character for each human stumble, a purity shaping my very "rashness". I shared this excerpt on my Facebook page after Jesse Hake was kind enough to email a selection of lines from the tragedy which he (somehow) kept track of as the play was in full motion! Who is more intentionally pregnant with meaning than Shakespeare? Who among the greats even shadows the depth of his universals? And I am no expert to discover the answer to these questions… nor am I skilled to thoroughly debate that Shakespeare is the height of human experience in Western Literature. I will say though, that when Ian Potter plays Hamlet, he embodies an action “effecting though pity and fear the catharsis [the purification and purging] of such emotions.” –Aristotle, From Poetics And Mr. Potter does it with pained-delight… the juxtaposition of the artist and thinker… the feeler and logician. The Gamut production under director, J. Clark Nickolson, accessibly stages Shakespeare’s complex vision and universal depth. Their success is due to the actors. Not all, but the important roles were dead on. If you have the opportunity… and if tickets are still available, I strongly encourage you to see Hamlet.

 This is what some 10^th graders had to say:

 “Hamlet was an extremely insightful and deep play, specifically the Gamut Theatre’s interpretation. The acting was amazing, while the funding was little. It provoked spiritual and emotional growth for both actors and audience in scenes like the ending where almost everyone dies and throughout the play when Hamlet’s madness is showcased.” –Evan Feliciano

 “The Harrisburg Shakespeare Company has put on a beautiful production of Hamlet. This passionate cast has brought forth the depth and intricacy of Shakespeare’s most popular play with precision and energy, The audience will leave feeling pleasantly refreshed, satisfied and reflective.” –Anne Marie Swartz

 “Gamut Theatre in an attempt to portray Shakespeare's longest and most confusing play, succeeded in many respects. Hamlet, acted by Ian Potter, is a sensible man thrown into tragedy and revenge, feigning madness yet fighting his own will as he plunges towards reckless murder and the urge to kill his uncle and father's killer." -Daniel Schwab

 "Hamlet is a treasury of insight into humanity; what love does to revenge, what revenge does to love, why insanity is a living death, and what a death can do to a life. Drop-down graves and rotting ships set the stage and actors fly fearless to their deaths. The cast’s energy and enthusiasm boils over as the rage draws to a climax." -Grace Prensner

 "The subtlety of Hamlet is protrayed excellently by the Harrisburg Theatre Company's Gamut Theatre group. The feeling of the play combines perfectly with the set and director's interpretations the play truly draws the audience into the world and madness of Shakespeare's Hamlet." -Dan Haas

 “Gamut Theatre has put on a great Hamlet show. Ian Potter’s athletical and comical ability mesh well with his solemn side to make a distinct contrast between his sanity and insanity. The stage was beautifully and effectively designed, having only one stoppage for stage crew. Hamlet by Gamut Theatre is a must see.” –Matt Van Loon

 “Gamut Theatre puts on an exquisite production of Hamlet and the actors bring the characters to life. As the actors infuse their own views of the characters’ humanity with concrete fact, the result is an easy-to-follow, smooth-flowing, and well-rounded production. The scene in which Ophelia professes her madness stuck out to myself particularly, given that just reading that portion of the book could never produce the emotions that the actress brought out.” –Conor Mullins