←Recommendations of Frailty, Thy Name

Being obsessed with Shakespeare from the time I was six years old(I KNOW!!!), I have always been slightly irritated with the many interpretations of Gertrude and Ophelia that never felt quite right. How happy I am to discover I was not the only one. Thank you Scott Sickles for giving us the Ophelia and Gertrude we deserve to see! Only one question: WHY is this not onstage yet?!

I am an unabashed lover of Shakespeare. I love any exploration behind the lines and action detailed to us in his works. Scott Sickles is a joy to read. Every play of his I’ve read is elaborately performed by a cast of players that reside forever in the repertory theater in my mind. FRAILTY, THY NAME gives us a peek behind the tapestries, not the safest place, but perhaps the best place to get the whole story.

Much is gained and little is lost in this masterful retelling of Hamlet that elevates and gives meat to the portrayals of Gertrude and Ophelia. Whether commiserating, clashing, or conspiring, they breathe life in to the consequential roles they play and illustrate that indeed, “Men are more pliable when they aren’t aware they are being shaped.” Read anything and everything by Scott Sickles, but do make sure you read this. It’s brilliant!

The pivotal choices that Gertrude makes just offstage in Hamlet are here given a spirited examination. Her fall and redemption make for meaty drama and a stunning confrontation scene by Ophelia. Sickles has written a thoughtful and fun "what if?" that fits pretty snugly with the Hamlet we know.