In 2017 Andrew Scott played Hamlet to astonished audiences.
My opinion? From the bits I’ve been able to watch on YouTube and his interviews where he talks about his approach, we have a new way of approaching Shakespeare for the 21st century.
Scott’s Hamlet first sees his father’s phantom on Danish CCTV screens. His wonderfully moving reaction is desperately plagued and hunted down by his indecisive grief in moments out of time.
(element one) READ these quotes by Andrew Scott about playing Hamlet.
The I-don’t-know-ness of the play is so important.
Every play is about love and vulnerability.
If there’s no love, there’s no tragedy.
Hamlet is grieving, resulting, like for many, in mental collapse.
He’s racked by thought — aware that his mind is both a gift and a curse, unable to trust his grief-blasted consciousness.
(element two) WATCH -- Andrew Scott’s Hamlet: Andrew Scott’s HAMLET playlist
The only one who sees, senses, and meets the Spirit directly is Hamlet.
(element three) WRITE, DRAW, or DOODLE about the ghost you would be.
Do you realize that you’re dead? Are you vicious, playful, or supportive? Are you a ghost who watches or a noisy ghost? Fantasize on how you keep yourself conscious and current in the minds of those you haunt. Why can the living sense your existence? Are you making noises, moving things, or speaking? Why do you reveal your presence? What do they feel about you, the ones you haunt? What incentives does your ghost have to haunt?
I hope you find Actor Andrew Scott + Your Ghost a compelling At Home Art Date.
I curate provocative art dates for you to enjoy solo or with others in your own home. Many of these art dates have online elements combined with supplemental reading, listening, and a variety of activities you can do at home to enhance how you express and experience art. Feel free to forward these art dates to others. Remember to check out the bonus material below.
These art dates are free of charge. However, they do take time, energy, and a lifetime of artistic experience to put together. If you’d like to buy me a cup of tea as a bit of thanks, I’d appreciate your generosity.
Yours,
Pattie
Bonus Material:
Here is my version of this AT HOME ART DATE:
GROCERY CLERK GHOST
by Pattie Miles Hey everyone before we get the séance started I wanted to introduce myself! Everyone screams. I know none of you know me personally or knew me personally when I was alive. I am the grocery store clerk that you all said hi to every day. Yes, I'm Margaret, the grocery store clerk. I won't get into how I died, just that I had an illness, so on and so forth. I realize I died, and that doesn't happen to everyone, but I knew for sure, and I fell right in with everybody over here really well. As a ghost, I'm very playful. I may be get up to some hijinks or some mischievousness, but I'm very loving and supportive, and I'm here for you. Also, I'm not a noisy ghost; I like to observe and watch and help when I can. So if you've been sensing someone around the kitchen or the bathroom, or maybe your shelves seem a little more organized than usual; well, that's me. That's me. I can't help but organize shelves because that's what I did for a living. So if you sense my existence in your home, you're right. But I don't make any noise. I'm not going to talk to you; I'm just going to move things around occasionally, and I try not to do it in front of you. The reason I'm revealing my presence to you today, at this séance, is to warn you. You were my favorite customers; you were always very kind to me even though you didn't know my name, but you always, as an entire family, had such a friendly and sweet attitude towards me. It was lovely watching all your children grow up. Anyway, the warning - rest assured, I'm also here to protect you because there's a couple of people that have been casing your home wanting to break in and steal your things, so I'm here to tell you to make sure all the doors are locked at night and, please, get new latches on those couple of windows you've been worrying about. I will scare the crap out of them when they try to break in, which will be sometime next weekend. Have a great evening, everyone, and do not forget to shop on Tuesdays when all the deals are happening. There's a special on that blueberry yogurt you like. All right. I'll keep straightening your shelves. I love you all so much; thanks for your kindness; I'm just giving some back. Goodbye!
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