Braswell Bravo Co opens Hamlet this weekend
October 5, 2022
The spirit of the Bard is in the air in the halls of Ray Braswell High School. The Braswell Bravo Company is buzzing with excitement as they prepare to put on the first production of the year, William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”.
Maddie Hamby, senior, will be playing the lead role of Hamlet. While Hamby has been involved in multiple productions in and out of school, including playing Elle Woods in the Braswell HS Theatre Department’s 2022 musical, Legally Blonde, she still feels a bit of pressure in going into her latest role.
“It’s really scary and intimidating, but it’s so much fun. I love learning about the show, as well as Shakespeare,” Hamby said.
Behind every incredible production is a hardworking technician crew. In responsibilities ranging from costume design to running the sound booth, theatre technicians are the backbone of any theatre production. Sarah Smith, senior, the costume designer for Hamlet, cited the work ethic of the tech crew as to why students and staff should come see the production.
“There has been so much hard work put in from both the cast and crew,” Smith said. “It would just be a shame for no one to come and see us perform.”
Hamlet is normally set in thirteenth or fourteenth century Denmark, but Braswell decided to age back the play to the Viking Era (793 – 1066 AD). This allowed the technical design of the play to challenge most initial assumptions audiences would make about Hamlet. Tatiana Nuno, senior, the makeup designer for the show explained how the makeup aspect of the play will look.
“We’re mostly trying to go for the Viking style – a lot of tight braids, and makeup is gonna be simplistic. We’re even doing tattoos,” Nuno said. “My crew is trying to symbolize the tattoos for each character. For instance, Hamlet’s tattoos are going to [symbolize] loyalty, protection, and strength. Laertes’ are going to be more symbolic of strength [and] leadership.”
Shakespeare’s works are written in Old English, which can confuse students enough in a classroom setting. To many student actors, it can feel overwhelming trying to decipher these words. Jasmine Waititu, senior, who plays the role of Gravedigger, originally found the fall play announcement daunting.
“At first, I didn’t like it,” Waititu said. “I found more confusion about it. That’s why I never found love with it, but now, after understanding the show, I truly enjoy it.”
To read Hamlet is a tall order, but to direct the production of Hamlet is nothing short of a testament to the company’s hard work and dedication. Mr. Benjamin Parker, the lead director of Hamlet, had wanted to do this production for a while. Braswell Bravo Co. originally planned on performing Hamlet during the 2020-21 school year but was forced to postpone due to the pandemic Parker explained why he wanted to direct Hamlet and gave a brief summary of the play.
“I like to challenge myself and this is probably the most complex play in the English Language,” Parker said. “Most people don’t understand it, but I think if they thought about it, they would.”
Tickets are on sale for $5 for students and $7 for the general public. The show will run Oct. 6-8, 2022. Tickets are available for purchase online at braswelltheatre.com.