“I was halfway across America, at the dividing line between the East of my youth and the West of my future.” – Jack Kerouac “On the Road”, a photo by Amanda's Weekly Zen on Flickr.
Reader Vacation 1: The Hamlet Stay-cation'
What to Read:
Hamlet! There are so many versions of Hamlet out there and more often than not you are likely to find one at your local library. I suggest reading a critical edition of the play. In a critical edition you will have background information on the play, Shakespeare, the culture that surrounds the play and often a few essays breaking down themes and the like in Hamlet. Some of my favorite editions include:
- Hamlet (Signet Classics) [Kindle Edition]
- Hamlet (Norton Critical Edition)
In addition to reading the play you will want to also have some of the films on hand. Below is a list of the films and movie adaptations based on Hamlet:
Films:
- Hamlet (Germany, 1920) Svend Gade & Heinz Schall directors
- Hamlet (UK, 1948) Laurence Olivier director
- Hamlet, Prinz von Dänemark (West Germany, 1961) Franz Peter Wirth director
- Hamlet (aka Gamlet) (Russia, 1964) Grigori Kozintsev director
- Hamlet (aka Richard Burton's Hamlet) (1964), Bill Colleran and John Gielgud directors
- Hamlet at Elsinore (TV, UK, 1964) Philip Saville director
- Hamlet (UK, 1969) Tony Richardson director
- BBC Television Shakespeare Hamlet (TV, UK, 1980) Rodney Bennett director (a videotaped production)
- Hamlet (USA, 1990) Franco Zeffirelli director
- The Animated Shakespeare Hamlet (TV, Russia and UK, 1992) Natalia Orlova director
- Hamlet (UK, 1996) Kenneth Branagh director
- Hamlet (USA, 2000) Michael Almereyda director (Modern Retelling)
- The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark (2007) (AUS, 2007) Oscar Redding director
Adaptations: (using Hamlet story elements)
- The Bad Sleep Well (aka Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru) (Japan, 1960) Akira Kurosawa director
- Strange Brew (Canada, 1983) Dave Thomas & Rick Moranis directors.
- Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (USA, 1990) Tom Stoppard director
- Renaissance Man (USA, 1994) Penny Marshall director
- The Lion King (USA, 1994) Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff directors.
- In The Bleak Midwinter (aka "A Midwinter's Tale") (UK, 1996) Kenneth Branagh director
- Let the Devil Wear Black (USA, 1999) Stacy Title director
- The Banquet, (China, 2006) Feng Xiaogang, director
- Sons of Anarchy (television show, USA 2008) Created by Kurt Sutters
- Karmayogi (2011 film), (India, 2011) V K Prakash, director
Where to Go:
Right in your own living room. For this vacation all you need is a comfy place to sit and read and watch a DVD.
What to See and Do:
This Reader Vacation is all about staying and focusing on the book so you will be seeing the movies you pick from the list above and you will be reading the play. I suggest take one day and read the play with friends or family (reading it out loud with others will be the best way to approach the play). And then take another day and pick 2-4 of the movies on the list and have a movie marathon.
How Much Will it Cost:
If you already own the play or you can find one at your local library then the only cost you will incur from this vacation is the price of movie rentals ($4 x4 movies = $16) and movie snacks (anywhere in the range of $20-50 depending on what you want to eat and drink).
When to Go:
Rainy days, sick days, snow days, or any day that you feel like you feel the need for a little ghost mystery action story in your life.
Reader Vacation 2: The Hamlet Road Trip
What to Read:
Hamlet! Just like the stay-cation you will want to read a good edition of Hamlet. Once again here are a couple of my favorite editions:
- Hamlet (Signet Classics) [Kindle Edition]
- Hamlet (Norton Critical Edition)
Where to Go & What to See and Do:
Here is where this vacation gets exciting. Grab the keys and Hamlet and hit the road to any of the numerous Shakespeare Festivals around the United States. Here are some that I recommend that are happening this summer:
- Utah Shakespeare Festival: This summer they will be performing classic Hamlet. For more information and to buy tickets check out their website (http://www.bard.org/plays/hamlet2012.html).
- Springfield Shakespeare Project: This summer they will be performing Hamlet in a different way in Hamlet vs. Zombies. For more information and to buy tickets check out their website (http://springfieldshakespeare.com/sample-page/hamlet-vs-zombies/).
- Kid Theatre West: if you have kids 11-18 who want to participate in a workshop all about Hamlet this is the place to go. For more information check out their website (http://kidstheatrewest.com/summer-2012-camps/hamlet).
How Much Will it Cost:
The price ranges on where you go and how many place you choose to visit on your Hamlet Road Trip. I would plan on spending anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars to around $2000.
When to Go:
Summer is the perfect time to head across the United States on a road trip and luckily there are some interesting ways to experience Shakespeare and Hamlet happening all over the US in June- August. So gas up that car and head out!
More Information:
I mentioned just a few notable places to experience Hamlet this summer. There are tons of theatres in the US that perform Hamlet and other Shakespeare plays all over the US. Here is a website dedicated to listing those theaters:
http://www.shakespearefellowship.org/linksfestivals.htm
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