A first-time reader of William Shakespeare's plays is bound to voice one famous, 21st century complaint: "Is this even English?" Well, tonight, toss your 14-year-old self a bone with Bare Bodkin, Pen, Paint & Pretzels and Torn Ticket II's production of "Hamlet, the Hip-Hopera," running tonight for one night only. The piece, directed by senior John-Michael Sequeira, lays out Shakespeare's classic tragedy of familiar power struggles in the accessible format of hip-hop.
Writer Tucker Delaney-Winn, a senior, was profiled in the Daily earlier this semester since he spent his spring semester workshopping his play with Bare Bodkin. Since the piece is sponsored by three organizations — a rarity within the Tufts drama scene — the cast and crew of "Hip-Hopera" are able to afford professional filming of its 10 p.m. run. Delaney-Winn plans to distribute that tape to high school students, offering them a fresh and engaging way to learn about "Hamlet."
"I've actually been contacted by several high school teachers from places like Somerville High [School] and Roxbury Prep [Roxbury Preparatory Charter School] who are interested in showing the video to their students and even having us perform a scene or two," Delaney-Winn told the Daily.
Devotees of the original "Hamlet" can rest easy — Delaney-Winn and Sequeira's rendition doesn't stray dangerously far from Shakespeare's rap-free opus. "Hamlet, the Hip-Hopera" includes a melange of contemporary and Elizabethan language, and — as Delaney-Winn told Jumble — the portrayal of crucial scenes and plot points "stays true to the spirit of the original play." That said, language assumes new forms under Delaney-Winn's pen, and Shakespeare's iambic pentameter transforms into raps, rap battles and spoken-word poetry.
With beloved classic material, a creative lens and Jumbo-sized talent, "Hamlet, the Hip-Hopera" promises to be music to our ears. Old meets new tonight at 7 and 10 p.m. in Balch Arena Theater.
—compiled by the Daily Arts Department
