Globe West Arts

Hamlet, from a new direction

Wendy Lippe of Brookline plays a female Hamlet in the Algonkuin Theatre Company’s free outdoor production of “Hamlet’’ this weekend in Holliston.

By Denise Taylor
Globe Correspondent /July 23, 2009

To be or not to be a female Hamlet is no longer a question forWendy Lippe. For the second time, the Brookline actress (and clinical psychologist) is taking “arms against a sea of troubles’’ as Princess Hamlet. Yes, princess.

The Algonkuin Theatre Company’s free, outdoor production of “Hamlet’’ at Holliston’s Kampersal Field this weekend pairs Shakespeare’s glorious language with a few small script changes: Hamlet is a woman, and the play is set in modern times among a cadre of royals with a penchant for dressing Goth.

“There’s nothing about this role that makes it necessary that Hamlet be a man except for the time period,’’ said Lippe. “But a female version of Hamlet just becomes so interesting from so many perspectives. For one, the oedipal scene, when Hamlet rages against his mother for betraying his father, takes on a whole new meaning.’’

Lippe fell into the role last fall after auditioning to play Gertrude (Hamlet’s mother) in a Sporadic Evolution Theatre production. But the force of her acting gave the director a different idea: Lippe was asked to play Hamlet.

“I almost fell off my chair. It’s the dream role,’’ said Lippe. “So, I said of course I’ll take it. And then I paused. I had one question: Would I be playing Hamlet as a man or a woman? Because I only felt I could do it if Hamlet was a woman.’’

The role went female and the show was a success. So, at Algonkuin’s audition Lippe tried out to play Princess Hamlet again. DirectorMarty BlackEagle-Carl,founder of the troupe, was impressed.

“She’s a very powerful actress. She’s a more physical type of actor rather than just relying on the words themselves to carry the meaning. She really gives the role a lot of umph,’’ said BlackEagle-Carl, a Bellingham resident who directs Algonkuin’s Shakespeare in the Parks shows every year.

For Lippe, making Hamlet more physical was the key to making the character more female. “We all think about Hamlet as being obsessive and stuck in his head, with these moments of lashing out,’’ said Lippe. “So, I try to integrate more emotional and physical expression . . . and integrating that expressiveness with the more obsessive quality feels like integrating both a female and a male sensibility.’’

Gender play aside, Hamlet has been the role of a lifetime. “Hamlet has such a complex personality that you have to bring out so many sides of yourself to play that role convincingly. It’s almost like playing multiple roles,’’ she said.

As for other male roles she’d like to try next? “I’d love to play the devil in ‘Faust,’ ’’ she said. “It would be interesting to have a female devil tempting the academic.’’

“Hamlet’’ will be performed at 5 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at Kampersal Field, at South Street and Kampersal Road in Holliston. Also, 5 p.m. Aug. 1 and 3 p.m. Aug. 2 at River Bend Farm, Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park, 287 Oak St., Uxbridge. Free.www.algonkuintheatre.org. No rain dates. Call 508-272-0111.