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QUILLS & QUEUES Quills & Queues: Comins reflects on what it means to be Hamlet at OSF Comment By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Jun. 9, 2016 at 3:01 PM By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Jun. 9, 2016 at 3:01 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Backstage: A conversation with Ashley Kelley, who plays Dorothy in OSF's 'The Wiz'... • Quills & Queues: Photographer adds symbolic elements to portraits... • The tale of how a premed student came to direct 'The Winter's Tale'... • Backstage: Musical staging of 'Chess' coming to Ashland in the fall... • Quills & Queues: Oregon Shakespeare Festival artistic director talks about the direc... » Social News In 12 seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Danforth Comins's performances have included such varied roles as Stanley Kowalski, Marc Anthony, Robert F. Kennedy and Coriolanus. As the summer season opens at the Allen Elizabethan Theatre, Comins takes on perhaps the most challenging role in the Shakespearean canon: the tragic Danish prince with whom the world is so familiar. On the eve of his performance, I got a chance to speak with Comins about his feelings on playing so iconic a role. JG: You've played a number of pretty archetypal roles for the stage during your time at OSF. How are you preparing to play what is arguably the most recognizable character in the history of the theater? DC: Actually, I find Hamlet to be less nerve-racking than say, Stanley Kowalski from "Streetcar." There have been dozens of notable Hamlets over the centuries, from Richard Burbage, to John Barrymore, to Sarah Bernhardt, Laurence Olivier, Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Kline, Adrian Lester and David Tennant, just to name a few. There has really been only one Stanley. Brando looms over all productions of "Streetcar" in a way that few roles/actors have. What I find refreshing about Hamlet is that it really becomes about the personality of the actor, mixed with the director's vision. The role allows for interpretations which can vary wildly, while still being moving and dynamic. It's a huge undertaking, but I do find solace in its universality. Knowing the history of the play is useful, much like any show — then it becomes about the interpretation of that particular production. Pushing yourself to set aside preconceived ideas, and to be flexible and open to your director and fellow players, is the key. In this particular production I'm bolstered by a great director (Lisa Peterson) and design/technical team, as well as a stellar cast. I'd be a fool not to heed the best idea in the room. JG: Did you know "Hamlet" well before you approached it as an actor who would be playing the lead role? When did you first become aware of the play, and the depth of its influence on the culture? Speak a little about your history with the character. DC: I'm lucky and blessed to have played the role before, so I like to think I have a good understanding of the play and its titular character's arc. That said, each take is totally different based on the individuals involved — one of those reasons it's a true classic in the utmost sense of the word. It resonates in all cultures and settings ... a friend even gave me a copy written in Klingon, so to say it has high cultural significance would be an understatement. I first became aware of it in high school, as probably many do. As a young adolescent whose parents had just gotten divorced, the "broken home" aspect of the play really grabbed me. I fortunately have a great relationship with my step parents, but nonetheless, as an angst-ridden teen I can't deny that was part of its draw. Well, that and skulls and swords and an existential crisis .... JG: Hamlet is a play that is extremely well known, but is also shocking and surprising to anyone who might be seeing it for the first time. What do you feel is fresh about this particular production, as an actor involved so intimately with it? DC: What I'm so excited to share about this production, aside from its powerful story, is the live musical underscoring and compositions throughout. We are fortunate to have Scott Kelly (a remarkable musician known for both his solo work and for being a founding member of the metal band Neurosis) play live throughout the performance. In close collaboration with our composer and director, Scott has created a sonic soundscape that I think perfectly captures the inner monologue of the Dane. In places that would most often be prerecorded sound cues, audiences will have the treat of hearing those moments created live, hopefully adding to the already intense live experience. We also hope to play up the ghost elements of the show, for it is, at its core, a ghost story. JG: Tell us about some of your most memorable experiences in the theater, either as an actor, or as an audience member? DC: I've been blessed with many amazing moments in the theatre both as audience member and performer, but the two that are surfacing for me presently involve Hamlet and Sondheim's dark masterpiece "Sweeney Todd." The latter was one of my first theatrical experiences, and I remember it vividly, as I didn't want to go. I was 15 at the time and going to see a musical was the last thing on my mind. I was seated on an aisle and at one point the main actor playing Sweeney made an entrance through the house onto the stage, his overcoat catching wind like a sail as he buzzed down the aisle. As he passed me, the whoosh of air from his coat grabbed me like a bolt of electricity. I audibly yelped (much to the delight of my mates sitting next to me) and it remains, to this day, one of my constant reminders of the power of live theatre. As an actor, one of my most memorable moments came with Hamlet, fittingly enough. A dear friend and family member was at the end stages of a fight with cancer, but was able to catch my closing performance. As I took the stage that day, all I could think about was speaking those words for him. While there were many hundreds in the auditorium, it felt like an audience of one. Delivering some of those famous speeches on death and afterlife became intensely personal, and we hugged after the show for what felt like forever. He passed two short months later. To connect with him with those words was an experience I shall never forget as long as I live. To end with a quote from the play: "The readiness is all." Ashland resident Jeffrey Gillespie is a Daily Tidings columnist, arts reviewer and freelance writer. Email him at gillespie.jeffrey @gmail.com. By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Jun. 9, 2016 at 3:01 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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