GUSTAVUS ALUMNI
A TALE OF TWO HAMLETS In the spring of 1966, the Theatre Department of Gustavus Adolphus College, under the direction of the legendary Evelyn Olson Anderson ’29, staged one of William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, Hamlet. In the spring of 2011—45 years later—the College’s Theatre Department, led by director Amy Seham, presented a thoroughly modernized and high-tech reading of the same play for new generations of theatre-goers. Three alumni who had been part of the 1966 cast were present for a Sunday afternoon performance of the 2011 production. Eric J. Gustavson ’66 (Hamlet), Linda Gulder Huett ’66 (Queen Gertrude), and Gary Rankila ’68 (Horatio) from the 1966 show were joined in the audience by other alumni and theatre-lovers for this production and then met the cast and crew on stage for a post-performance reception. “Our trip back, to attend the production of Hamlet some 45 years after we had performed it, was totally enjoyable,” Gustavuson said. “I was impressed with the ingenuity of the staging and the fresh interpretation of the characters that made Shakespeare so accessible to the audience. Bravo and brava to the actors and director!” Seham’s 2011 adaptation embraced the poetry and passion of Hamlet and brought Shakespeare’s discussion of “reality” into contemporary time and space, exploring how technology affects our understanding of perception, performance, and truth. The production incorporated a dramatic and imaginative film component guided by video producer and recent Gustavus graduate Nick Hansen ’09. Extensive film footage and security cameras, on stage and off, exposed the influence of modernday reality television, film, and media on culture. “The new crop of Gustavus actors was showcased with spot-on, real-time film, cell phones, and laptops,” noted Rankila, who had played Horatio in the earlier production. “Everyone in the royal Danish court was watching and listening to each other as they hatched their ugly plans for deeds most foul. This updated re-telling of the story still cracks a noble heart. Professor Seham drew the best out of each student player and artist.”
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1. Current and past cast members got together for a photo on the 2011 set. Pictured in front from left are Professor of Theatre and Dance and Director Amy Seham (standing), and Rush Benson ’13 (sitting); second row: Alex Christiansen ’13 (kneeling), Comfort Dolo ’14, Jane Chung ’13, and James Freetly ’12; third row: Tim McComas-Bussa ’13, Robert Ward ’14, and Benjamin Kolis ’12; fourth row: Megan Myhre ’11, Peter Nygren ’11, Riley Lass ’14, Chloe Radcliffe ’12, and Linda Gulder Huett ’66; back row: Ethan Bjelland ’12, Gary Rankila ’68, Christian DeMarais ’11, Kimberly Braun ’11, and Eric Gustavson ’66.
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2. Hamlet now and then: Christian DeMarais ’11 and Eric Gustavson ’66 3. Queen Gertrude now and then: Chloe Radcliffe ’12 and Linda Gulder Huett ’66. 4. Horatio then and now: Gary Rankila ’68 and Kimberly Braun ’11
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FALL 2011
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