University of New Orleans ScholarWorks@UNO University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations Dissertations and Theses Fall 12-18-2015 An Actor's Method to Building the Character of Hamlet in The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Samuel C. Malone III MFA Graduate Student, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td Part of the Acting Commons, Performance Studies Commons, and the Theatre History Commons Recommended Citation Malone, Samuel C. III, "An Actor's Method to Building the Character of Hamlet in The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark" (2015). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 2096. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/2096 This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by ScholarWorks@UNO with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights- holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. An Actor’s Method to Building the Character of Hamlet in The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of New Orleans In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts In Film & Theatre Theatre Performance: Acting By Sam Malone B.A. Louisiana State University, 2010 December 2015 © 2015, Samuel C. Malone III All Rights Reserved ii To BJ To Momma and Daddy, Nita, Mity, Pooh, Hoop, Moo Man, Meri, Mani, and Mymy pumkin. To my Gift from God, Nikki, my wife, and to her family. To all my family in New Orleans, Natchez, Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas, Oakland, etc. To big Cuz for bringing me down here. To my old neighborhood, formerly known as Beverly Hills. To my best friend James Mosby who died in first grade and his family. To all the people I know who invested their time in me. To all my former teachers and coaches who took time to educate me. To Uncle Lil Jr. and Aunt Mae and their family. To Uncle James, Aunt Emma, Uncle Nathaniel, Uncle Mac, Uncle Richard, Aunt Ora Dee. To the fallen soldiers: Aunt Lilly Bee, Aunt Ollie Mae, Uncle Roosevelt, my Grandparents, Aunt Estelle, Terry Smith, Uncle Pet Lee, Uncle Dave, Aunt Bessie, Uncle Holloway, Uncle Popeye, Cousin Darryl, and to John Dennis, one of my biggest inspirations. To Rueben Mitchell. To Nu I and the 9. To all the fighters for freedom and equality. To all the people I failed to mention that have gone on before me and have left me with the gift of their memories. To those gone I never met, who have made this possible and given this voice a platform. To all before me who have paved the way for me to be here and to all that may follow whom I hope I have, in some way, paved the way for. Also, to all the Hamlets out there, past, present, and future... God Bless. iii Acknowledgements I want to thank God. For giving me this opportunity to be. I’m thankful for life, dear Lord and I thank You and praise You for my family, for my wife, for my son, for all my family and friends, loved ones near and far. I thank You for health and strength, wisdom and understanding. Thank You for guidance Father. Thank You for all that You’ve done, all You’re doing, and all that You will do. You’ve been so good to me Lord, and I want to say thank You . I worship You Lord, for You are the Creator, You made me and You built me with a purpose, and I thank You for all the gifts You’ve given me, and I pray that You give me the wisdom and strength to use You’re gifts to the best of my ability and I hope and pray that my work touches someone in a positive way and inspires them. Thank You for a relationship with You, Lord, individually and collectively, and I ask that You continue to strengthen our relationship with You Lord. You are the King of Kings and Ruler of All Things, and I thank You . Please be present in our lives at all times. Please protect us from all hurt, harm, and danger. Please have mercy. Thank You Lord. Thank you to my parents for all the sacrifices they made for me to be able to pursue my passion. For getting up every morning to go to jobs they didn’t like so we had food on the table and a roof, and clothes, and felt safe. Thank you to my wife for being so much more than my wife. For seeing my first show. Thank you for believing in me. For being in my corner no matter what. For being my coach, my trainer, my masseuse, my therapist, my accountant, my consultant, my nurse, my travel agent, my computer expert, my scene partner, my costume designer, my iv lighting designer, my baby momma, my pumkin. Pretty sure I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. I appreciate you. Thank you to all of my teachers. Thanks to my acting teachers. Thanks to John Dennis and Andrea Frankle. Thanks to JD who gave me the eye of the tiger and has had the biggest impact on my career as an actor. Wish you were here man. Love ya Koch. In a similar vein, thank you to Meagan and RPM for your continuous encouragement and for your pep talk in the hallway before the performance that led to the call before the call. Thank you to the director, Jim Winter, who agreed to take on this massive play with me and who faced the beast with contagious courage. Thanks for all your sacrifices to make this experience special for me. Muchas gracias mi amigo. Thanks to the vastly and diversely talented cast of Hamlet. I’m so thankful to have gone through this experience with you all. I’ve learned so much from each of you. We are forever bonded by the experience. You made this exhausting journey so enjoyable, remarkable, and unforgettable. Thank you. Thanks to our management team, the Magnificent 6, and thanks to our genius light, set, and sound designers. v Thank you to each and every person who stayed until the end of our 3 and a half hour show. You made all the hours, blood, sweat, and tears we put into this show worthwhile. I salute you. Thanks to my Graduate Committee members, Mrs. Debra Daniel, Kevin Griffith, and David Hoover for taking me in as an MFA Candidate and taking the time to work with me to help me grow and develop as an artist. Thanks to my Grad-Brother John. I’m so thankful to have gone through this journey with you man. I’m not convinced I would have made it without you. I’m eternally grateful for our friendship. Finally, thanks to anybody who takes the time to read this. Time is precious so thank you for your sacrifice. vi Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………...……………………………ix Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..1 Chapter 1: William Shakespeare. Who Dat?.……………..…………………………….2 Chapter 2: History of The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark……...……………..8 + Sources & Origins…..………………………………………………………......9 + Performance History…………………………………………...........................13 Chapter 3: Hamlet the Dane: What’s a King Without a Crown?.................................20 +Character Analysis………...……………………………………………………21 +Script Analysis……………………………………………………See Appendix I Chapter 4: Production Manuscripts……………………………………………………36 +Rehearsal Journals.……………………………………………………………..38 +Performance Journals…………………………………………………………109 Chapter 5: Artist Evaluation..........................................................................................126 Appendix I: Scored Script………………..……………………………………………..129 Appendix II: Production Documents…………………………………………………...206 Appendix III: Rehearsal Schedule & Scene Breakdown……………………………….233 vii Appendix IV: Production Photos……………………………………………………….241 Vita……………………………………………………………………………………...245 viii Abstract This thesis will set out to examine the process needed in order to deliver the character of Hamlet as a fully dimensional, complex human being who transcends time periods and class distinctions to connect with any audience of any background. This text will include biographical information about the author, William Shakespeare, as well as historical information about the circumstances and atmosphere surrounding the birth of this play. Included in the scored actor’s script are the Sanford Meisner Techniques of moment-to-moment analysis and actioning as it relates to Konstantin Stanislavski’s system, as well as any additional actor’s notes that may have contributed to character development. Daily rehearsal and performance journals are also incorporated into this work, which will serve to share the actor’s goals, his process, his achievements, and his failures over the course of the production process. Sam Malone; Hamlet; Building the Character of Hamlet; Prince of Denmark; Theatre; Acting; Performance ix Introduction The University of New Orleans produced William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark in the Fall of 2014. The production, which was staged in the Robert E. Nims Thrust Theatre, held performances over two weekends, November 13-15 and November 20-23. The play was directed by Jim Winter, with scenic design by Kevin Griffith, lighting design by Diane Baas, and costume design by Anthony French. Assistant Director, Erick Wolfe designed fight choreography, with sound design developed by Asher Griffith. Jenny Billot managed the production along with Misty Gros and Amanda Francis.