The Beauteous Majesty of Denmark
On November 21 and 22 a senior directing thesis written by Val Dunn from William Shakespeare premiered. The show, running only 50 minutes, combined original Shakespeare and modern feminist ideas to recreate the way the audience perceives Hamlet’s Ophelia.
11/21/2014
Olivia Libowitz ’18, playing Ophelia, and Alex Madaus ’16, playing Laertes.
Nick Staub ’15 as Polonius and Alex Madaus.
Elise Musciano ’15 as Gertrude and Nick Staub.
Jolie Smudin ’16 as Hamlet, engaged in one of the play’s many physical scenes.
Nick Staub ’15, Olivia Libowitz ’18, and Jolie Smudin ’16.
At one point in the show Ophelia throws a breakaway chair from the top of the set, and it lands in pieces.
Ophelia scrawls on the stage in chalk.
Nick Staub and Olivia Libowitz come to a standoff.
The show often becomes violent, containing numerous confrontations.
Jolie Smudin takes a well deserved break from all of the graveyard digging.
Olivia Libowitz captured in a dramatic moment.
The show featured a very creative use of lighting; in this scene Ophelia’s almost-drowning is pantomimed behind a sheet.
Hamlet drags dead Polonius across the stage on a blood-spattered tarp.
Olivia Libowitz and Elise Musicano.
Ophelia is brought to her knees at the graveyard, forever searching for the beauteous majesty of Denmark.
Olivia Libowitz delivers a monologue with gusto.
Jolie Smudin addressing the audience.
A source of comic relief, the performance featured an appearance by a sock puppet.
Hamlet and Ophelia in a passionate embrace.
The final scene displayed the two strongest women in the production.