Shakespeare’s Hamlet has been performed countless times, and yet, with each new adaptation, the play takes on a fresh and often deeply personal interpretation.
The latest production at Cerritos College is no exception with its raw and emotional journey into Hamlet’s psyche, where ancient text meets modern interpretation and where creatives blend their own lives into their characters.
With an interview from the Director and lead actors, we delve into the creative process behind Hamlet, and how the line between fiction and reality is a lot blurrier than you think.
Brandt Reiter, the director of the play, said he handpicked Hamlet not just for its fame, but also for its relevance to our current political climate.
Reiter remarked, “This is an election year, and the play has something to say about regime change.”
His interpretation focused on the shifts of power within the story, connecting them with our own uncertainty surrounding our own political transition.
This focus on regime change guided the production’s creative decision, including its streamlined approach to the script.
“I used the Royal Shakespeare Company text as a base and then edited it,” Reiter explained.
In Reiter’s adaptation, the opening and closing lines of the play bookend, not just for dramatic effect, but also as a discussion into self reflection.
Angelo Santos, who plays the titular role, explains his process of inhabiting the infamous character was both exciting and nerve wracking.
“It’s not every day that I get the opportunity to do Hamlet,” Santos expressed, acknowledging the weight of playing one of the most famous characters in theater history.
However, he took his approach very personally. He explained, “I personalize first. What do I, Angelo, have in common with Hamlet?”
By focusing on these connections, Santos was able to humanize Hamlet, bringing a unique physicality to the role.
Daniela Lopez, who plays Ophelia, approached the character with a similar focus on emotional realism.
In her interpretation, Ophelia is “just a girl,” a 17-year-old who is navigating her obligations to her family and her entanglements with Hamlet. Lopez’s goal was to humanize Ophelia, steering away from other portrayals of madness but rather favoring a grounded, more heartfelt interpretation.
Lopez emphasizes the importance of being “present” in each moment of the play, which allowed her to make Ophelia’s descent into madness more natural.
“In Act 1, she’s a noble lady, but by Act 3, she’s been broken up with by Hamlet, the love of her life.” Lopez explained.
While both main leads were handling their own balance of reality and fiction, Jaylan Price and Micah Rodriguez, who played Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, had their own balancing act, only this time between the genre of comedy and tragedy.
Together, they brought a lighter, more comedic tone to the production, with the interpretation leaning more into the playful nature of their characters.
Despite the humor, both Price and Rodriguez recognize the weight of the play’s tragic elements.
The beauty of this production lies in the collaboration between the cast and director. Reiter gave his actors the freedom to make these characters their own, while still ensuring that the play remained emotionally impactful.
“It’s been done so many times, how are you going to come up with something that no one’s ever done before?” Reiter noted.
This production of Hamlet is about more than just a regime change or personal tragedy. This production is about how we discover ourselves within the chaos of our own world.
Whether through Hamlet’s internal struggle, Ophelia’s heartbreak, or the missteps of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, this production asks the audience to reflect on their own lives, their own choices, and the consequences that follow.
