Three Hamlets

Among all the roles I’ve played, Sophocles’ Oedipus and Shakespeare’s Hamlet were transcendent experiences. I felt that I was part of a religious rite, enacting something profoundly spiritual, something deeply important to the health and well-being of the community. With regards to Hamlet, I’ve had the great privilege of attempting the Prince on three separate occasions.

Honolulu Hamlet

The first was in 1976 in Hawaii when I was invited by director Wallace Chappell to do the play for the Honolulu Theatre for Youth. It was an opportunity to learn something of the play’s basic structure and to work out a decent “broad-stroke” portrayal. Not surprisingly it had to be a cut version of the play and that of course could not be helpful in understanding how the play worked. During rehearsal, however, an actress friend of mine, Lorraine Dove, introduced Annie and I to the FIRST FOLIO OF SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS. For years I had been working with modern Shakespearian texts completely unaware of the treasures to be uncovered in that single volume, so lovingly put together by two of his colleagues. Since that time, Anne and I have found the FIRST FOLIO to be excitingly indispensable to all of our Shakespearean efforts.

Hawaiian schoolchildren’s responses:

“We just saw the play HAMLET which I thought was a very good play. Hamlet was the best actor. Not just because he was cute, it’s that he acts very real and good… One thing which I thought was the best about him was how he spoke Shakespeare…” –Caron Faria

“Hamlet was played with perfection by Randall Duk Kim. His voice was clear and his lines were always said with the proper emphasis…The lines were written in Shakespearean language which is difficult for the average student to understand, but Kim made sure his movements were in time with his lines, so the language was easier to interpret…” –Mary Brilley

“Randall Duk Kim who portrays Hamlet proves his excellent acting ability in this play…He captures the audience with his voice … He speaks the Shakespearean language the best…” –Lori Soloclyra

Guthrie Hamlet

My second Hamlet was at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, about three years later. Again, the director made a choice to cut the play. Again, I was prevented from dealing with the play in its entirety and had to accept more broad strokes and incompleteness. This was particularly disappointing since for years the Guthrie held a very high place in my esteem. Again, I walked away from my efforts feeling dissatisfied. The audience and critic response was mixed; perhaps, it might have been a little strange for those expecting a Danish Hamlet to see a young Asian American in the role. This second opportunity only deepened my love for the character and the story; my curiosity was now insatiable.

Audience Reactions

“Please accept my thanks for your performance of Hamlet… It is not my custom to write ‘fan’ letters, but I think an expression of appreciation is a just response to the integrity, craftsmanship and unsparing generosity of your work. It was most…perhaps relief is the word, to hear frustration in the ‘to be or not to be’ instead of customary romantic melancholy. The psychological integrity and emotional commitment of your performance was deeply moving.” –Patricia W. Cat (Sp.?), Audience member, October 14, 1978, Plymouth, MN

APT Hamlet

My final portrayal took place at American players Theatre in 1986. Annie directed; she had been present at the making of the two previous productions. We would use the First Folio text uncut with a few emendations from the earlier Quarto text. The costumes, designed by Budd Hill, represented the world of 11th century Denmark. The actors were well schooled in the meaning of each word and I was ready to take on the role for the last time. We sold out at 102% capacity. There were occasions when the performance was threatened with a “rain-out” but the audience protested and refused to leave. The response to the play was very positive. Recently, Annie and I were surprised to discover a recording of one of the performances and, upon listening to it, gave us a good idea of where our work had brought us at that time.

Audience and reviewer quotes

“If I ran the Hamlet Olympics, Randall Duk Kim would get the gold! I’ve seen Barrymore’s hammy Hamlet, and Olivier’s poetic one, and Orson Welles’ off-beat version, but never has the Prince been more admirable and pitiable and real than he was last night!” –Abigail Curkest, Audience member, no date, Mt. Horeb, WI.

One audience member expressed her feeling this way:

“Last Summer I had the good fortune to attend an APT performance of HAMLET. Your interpretation has been in my thoughts each day since that time. I was so moved by your Hamlet that I hesitated to write until now…I hope you will not be offended that a musician/anthropologist has the effrontery to critique your performance, but your Hamlet of last year lives on in my mind, in precise detail (as well it should!) I spent the remainder of the night sitting outside thinking about the performance, until the sun made me realize I was late for work. At the beginning of the performance, I was totally unprepared for what followed. The act of walking onto the stage made the set yours; your back was to us – yet you held the stage. It was yours until the moment you turned to face us and then the audience was yours as well. I realized that I would finally see Hamlet portrayed as he should be…Particularly wrenching was your portrayal of a man so deeply despondent that his grief is the ever present base upon which all other emotions rest… I would like to pass this final thanks: One day, after a discussion of Hamlet, my father said, ‘I hope you will someday see a Hamlet as he ought to be. In 40 years of listening, I have yet to see any actor do him justice.’ My thanks to you for giving me the gift my father wished for me.” –Diane A. Fagan, Audience Member, July 27, 1987, Rockford, IL

Recordings

Here are a few moments, from an APT performance, that were recorded live 35 years ago, under rugged conditions.