Hamlet directed by William Peters

Director’s notes

By Bill Peters

“There is a shyness at the core of existence, a hesitation to be seen. Even domestic animals do not like to have their pictures taken.”—Jane Hirshfield

The paradox of acting is the demand that actors present private emotions publicly. Hamlet grapples with itself famously, with its own theatrical presence, and lays bare the entire enterprise of art: the representation of consciousness in its living, breathing dash through time.

It is about other things, of course: family, love, hate, friendship, ambition, religious belief, betrayal, redemption, mortality—themes that are at least as numerous as the mountain of books written about this play. But it is the dilemma of making oneself known to one’s self and to others that provides the propulsive force in every scene of the play.

My wonderful cast—for the most part fresh to the demands of Shakespeare’s language and theatrical sensibility—has helped me see this incredible poem with new eyes. Each actor brought the gift of her total presence to the rehearsal process, and each has found in her the place of “shyness” and the means of bringing it to our attention.

The heart has its secrets that only great art can reveal. A lovely little poem by Wendy Cope ends with words that can serve as a prologue to our play tonight:

“What’s the use of poetry?
They ask. Well, here’s a start:
It’s anecdotal evidence
About the human heart.”