By Judy Richter

The motto of California Shakespeare Theater is “Reimagining the classics.” With its production of “Hamlet,” however, director Liesl Tommy may be stretching the reimagination a bit too far with her concept. If one doesn’t read the program notes, one might not realize that she sees it as a memory play in which “the structure (Elsinore Castle) has outlived its inhabitants and is now a haunted place.”

Likewise, it might take a while for an observer to realize that the main part of the set by Clint Ramos (who also designed the modern-day costumes) is an empty swimming pool, strewn as it is with all sorts of clutter and set pieces. And as some directors are wont to do with William Shakespeare, Tommy eliminates characters — most notably Fortinbras — and rearranges scenes. Thus Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy is not a soliloquy but rather a rumination as Ophelia lies in his arms.

The essence of the story is intact, however, as Hamlet (Leroy McClain) is horrified that just two months after the death of his father, king of Denmark, his mother, Gertrude (Julie Eccles), has married his father’s brother, Claudius (Adrian Roberts). In those days, such a marriage was considered incestuous, let alone unduly hasty. As if this weren’t enough, Hamlet encounters the ghost of his father (Roberts again), who says that Claudius murdered him and that Hamlet must avenge the death. Thus begins Hamlet’s equivocation.

In short order, he feigns madness, shuns Ophelia (Zainab Jah), accidentally murders Ophelia’s father, Polonius (Dan Hiatt), leading to Ophelia’s madness and another string of tragedies that leave the stage littered with bodies at the end. If this “Hamlet” is a memory play, then perhaps it plays out in the memories of Hamlet’s steadfast friend, Horatio (Nick Gabriel), who witnesses nearly every scene even when the script doesn’t require him to be onstage. He’s the only major character who survives.

Despite some questionable directoral choices, the cast is solid, especially Eccles, Gabriel, Hiatt and Nicholas Pelczar as Laertes. Ably filling lesser roles are Danny Scheie as Osric and the Player King, Mia Tagano as the Player Queen and a doctor, Jessica Kitchens as Rosencrantz, Brian Rivera as Guildenstern and others, and Joseph Salazar as Marcellus.

As for McClain as Hamlet, he is directed to become too emotional, while Roberts is a too monster-like as the ghost of Hamlet’s father. And Jah’s Ophelia goes way over the top in her insanity.

Peter West’s lighting is effective, as is Jake Rodriguez’s sound, which includes some hit tunes from the 1960s. Dave Maier is the fight director.

No doubt because “Hamlet” is one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays — the source of many familiar lines and expressions — it has been extended for a week due to strong demand for tickets. Audiences won’t exactly be disappointed, but they won’t be seeing the best example of this classic.

“Hamlet” continues through Oct. 21. For tickets and information, call (510) 548-9666 or visit www.calshakes.org.

By Judy Richter

Confident, well groomed and well spoken, an eminent research scientist is in the Virgin Islands lecturing a group doctors about a product she developed that could be a breakthrough in the treatment of dementia. Although the word “Alzheimer’s” is never used, it’s clearly a focus in “The Other Place,” the Sharr White drama receiving its West Coast premiere at San Francisco’s Magic Theatre.

The speaker is 52-year-old Juliana Smithton (Henny Russell), who finds herself more and more distracted by a young woman in a yellow bikini in the back row. From there the mystery heightens and the action shifts among several settings and time periods as well as between reality and Juliana’s imagination — or perhaps hallucinations. What she tells a neurobiologist, Dr. Cindy Teller (Carrie Paff, who’s listed as The Woman in the program), differs from what is said by her husband, Ian Smithton (Donald Sage Mackay), an oncologist.

Perhaps the problems started 10 years ago when Laurel (Paff), the 15-year-old daughter of Juliana and Ian, disappeared one night and never was seen again. She may or may not have run off with or been abducted by Richard Sillner (Patrick Russell, listed as The Man in the program), Juliana’s post-doc assistant at the time.

“The Other Place” may have two meanings. One is literal — the Smithtons’ cottage on Cape Cod. The other is figurative — wherever Juliana’s mind goes as some sort of dementia sets in. Juliana calls it “the great darkness.” White skillfully takes the audience between them as more truths emerge.

Director Loretta Greco, the Magic’s producing artistic director, and her talented cast carefully navigate this difficult emotional journey. Henny Russell is riveting as her Juliana tries to make sense of what’s happening and tries to convince others around her that her perceptions are real. She’s well balanced by Mackay as her supportive husband, Ian, who can be seen as the truth-teller. Paff makes Dr. Teller a competent professional. She’s also makes a convincing transition as a woman who’s outraged to find Juliana in the cottage but who soon perceives what might be happening and kindly appeases Juliana in the play’s most touching scene.

Although the set by Myung Hee Cho, who also designed the costumes, works for the first half of the intermissionless play, it has problems in the second half. That’s when a white screen across the stage opens to reveal the cottage. Unfortunately, though, the cottage’s side walls block the view of people seated on the right and left sides of the stage. Consequently, — unless they have access to the script — they have no idea what is happening in the very last scene. Otherwise, Eric Southern’s lighting, Brandon Wolcott’s sound and composition, and Hana Sooyeon Kim’s video design complement the production.

“The Other Place” is scheduled for a Broadway production by the Manhattan Theatre Club at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in December. If the Magic production is any indication, it should be a success as it examines the toll of dementia as well as the mysteries of a decade-old family tragedy.

The Magic Theatre production will continue through Oct. 7. For tickets and information, call (415) 441-8822 or visit www.magictheatre.org.

By Judy Richter
When Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart” opened in New York in 1985, knowledge about AIDS was growing but still sadly lacking. Today, even though drugs have been found to control it, there still is no real cure, nor is there a vaccine to prevent it. In the meantime, the worldwide death toll has grown to more than 30 million, and an estimated 33.3 million people, including 1.3 million Americans, are living with HIV/AIDS. Hence the 2011 Tony-winning revival seems necessary and timely, as evidenced by the Arena Stage production that has come to San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater.

Taking place between July 1981 and May 1984 in New York City, the plot focuses on a gay writer, Ned Weeks (Patrick Breen), who has become aware of a mysterious illness that is claiming the lives of gay men. When he talks with a doctor, Emma Brookner (Jordan Baker), who has been treating men with the illness, she has no answers. She doesn’t know what causes it, let alone how to treat it, cure it or prevent it. However, she suspects that gay men’s sexual activities play a large role in its spread. She tells Ned (a stand-in for the playwright) to tell gay men to stop having sex.

She might as well advise telling them to stop breathing. Sexual freedom has become a way of life, indeed a part of their identity. Still, Ned looks for ways to help. He and some other gay men form a group intended to provide support and resources for their afflicted brothers. However, their efforts are thwarted in several ways.

One is that government officials, the public health establishment and the mainstream press are virtually ignoring the epidemic. Ned believes they do so because gay men are not readily acceptable. He believes that if a similar crisis were confronting straight people, all sorts of resources would be unleashed.

Another problem is that most of the other men in his group are closeted. They fear losing their jobs if it were known that they’re gay. Then there’s Ned himself. He’s outspoken, abrasive, confrontational, leading to conflict within the group and alienating those who could exert some influence to help.

In the meantime, more men are becoming ill, including Ned’s lover, Felix Turner (Matt McGrath), a fashion writer for the New York Times. Some of Ned’s colleagues relate wrenching stories about the fate of their friends and loved ones.

When Berkeley Repertory Theatre presented “The Normal Heart” in June 1986, the San Francisco Bay Area was still reeling from the crisis. Leaning on canes or a friend, frail-looking young men with purple lesions (Kaposi’s sarcoma) on their skin could be seen at various public events like plays and the opera. Today, the revival of that play evokes sad memories of that tragic time. My review of that production concluded: ” ‘The Normal Heart’ isn’t an easy play to watch. Nevertheless, it’s an important play, one that moves its audience and provokes deep, disturbing thought about a social climate and crisis that could remain in the forefront for a long time.”

Now, 26 years later, the social climate is gradually changing for gays, but AIDS still remains a significant public health challenge, especially given the high expense of the drugs used to treat it. Gay marriage, depicted in the play, is still outlawed in most areas.

This revival, directed by George C. Wolfe, features a standout cast, led by Breen as the angry Ned Weeks and featuring Baker as Emma Brookner, the wheelchair-using physician who contracted polio three months before the introduction of the Salk vaccine. Besides McGrath as Felix, the cast also features Michael Berresse as Mickey Marcus, Nick Mennell as Bruce Niles, Bruce Altman as Ben Weeks (Ned’s straight brother), Sean Dugan as Tommy Boatwright, and Tom Berklund, Patrick Alparone and Jon Levenson in various minor roles.

The set is by David Rockwell with costumes by the late Martin Pakledinaz, lighting by David Weiner, music and sound by David Van Tieghem and projections by Batwin + Robin Productions. Leah C. Gardiner is the restaging director.

More than history, “The Normal Heart” is a cogent reminder of the need for people to be aware of how AIDS is transmitted and to try to prevent contracting it or spreading it. In a letter given to theatergoers after the play and in ACT’s “Words on Plays” publication, the still-crusading, still-angry Kramer has this to say, among other things: “Please know that all efforts at prevention and education continue their unending record of abject failure. … Please know that this is a plague that need not have happened. Please know that this is a plague that has been allowed to happen.”

“The Normal Heart” continues through Oct. 7. For tickets and information call (415) 749-2228 or visit www.act-sf.org.