Bard’s ‘Hamlet’ opens tonight in Brandon

“To be, or not to be, that is the question,” is a famous line from William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” that people in Westman will have the chance to contemplate as the Mecca Productions cast takes the stage.

The red curtain will open tonight at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium.

More than 20 actors are performing in the play, which was written in the 1600s and tells the story of Hamlet as he grieves the death of his father while grappling with how his mother remarried his uncle.

Cam Tataryn, who plays Hamlet, said flipping through the script for the first time last summer was a “harrowing experience” because he felt intimidated by the amount of early modern English lines he had to memorize.

“It is, without a doubt, the most all-encompassing thing I have ever done in my entire life,” he said.

“You can’t take on something like playing the role of Hamlet without it being your number-one obsession for months and months.”

Shakespeare writes using iambic pentameter, where each line has 10 syllables with an accent on every other syllable, creating a rhythm that makes it easier for actors to memorize, Tataryn said.

Tataryn said he’s a big believer in being off book before he rehearses scenes with other actors — that way he can focus on deepening his character portrayal with emotion and conviction.

Although Hamlet is the namesake of the play, Tataryn considers him a villain.

“I often describe Hamlet to people as, ‘It’s the R-rated Lion King,’” he said.

Playing the role of Hamlet — a complex, philosophical and vengeful character — has been equally as fun as it has been challenging, he said.

“When you’re standing over a person intimidatingly with a knife in your hand and they’re looking you in the eye … it takes something on your morality to be able to hold it out and go through it, but we have a great bunch of chemistry,” Tataryn said.

The cast has built a strong sense of trust with each other to feel safe during emotionally or physically demanding scenes that involve killing or fighting, he said.

High school students are typically introduced to “Hamlet” in Grade 12. Shakespeare can be difficult for some people to understand, but Tataryn said seeing it performed can help people connect with the characters and plot.

“Everyone maybe got exposed to Shakespeare some way in high school, but I would recommend to those people, watch it, don’t read it. Come let us make it make sense to you,” he said.

Tataryn, who works as a Grade 11 English teacher at Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School, said he’s also excited to perform for high school students during a matinée today.

Lisa Vasconcelos, who plays Queen Gertrude, said acting for this role is unlike any character she has portrayed in other productions.

“She’s much more emotional than most of the characters that I’ve played,” Vasconcelos said.

“There was ‘Mamma Mia,’ and now this is, like, unrecognizable as far as the type of character Donna to Gertrude is.”

Vasconcelos described a dramatic scene that involves the character Ophelia as one of her favourite moments in the play because the cast members fully embody how their character feels.

“The world is kind of swirling around them, and all these unfortunate things are happening,” she said.

Vasconcelos said the actors have put in about four to eight hours of rehearsals each week because the material has been incredibly challenging. The language has a cadence and rhythm that doesn’t allow any breathing room for improvisation, she said.

The play’s director, Michelle Boudreau, said the Shakespearean tragedy of Hamlet connects to human nature and the political climate across the world, adding that it’s important to celebrate works of literature.

“I cry every time I watch the show because everybody just does such a great job,” she said.

“I am really, really impressed with our actors and how they’ve engulfed it 100 per cent.”

People can see the shows tonight and Friday at 7:30 p.m. or Saturday at 3 p.m.

Tickets are available at the auditorium’s box office or by calling 204-728-9510.

» tadamski@brandonsun.com