H o l l y  M.  B r e u e r

Hamlet was produced in 2011 by Kent State University. It was staged in Wright-Curtis Theater, a modified thrust space, and directed by Assistant Professor of Acting Mark Monday. The challenge of this production was the visual representation of a multifaceted directorial concept: a post-apocalyptic world in which Catholicism and Protestantism are the dominant religions and young Hamlet returns from school a recently converted Muslim. I was initially inspired by the clean, futuristic architectural style of Santiago Calatrava. I then shattered those idealistic forms by literally breaking apart the scenic elements to create a world of dissonance. This visual discord, similar to the upheaval experienced by the characters, is one that could never be properly reconciled. The production’s significance arose from the audience’s ability to recognize something familiar in the scenery and at the same time acknowledge the implication of the destruction of those elements.