Jan. 19-22 proved to be a highly successful intensive weeklong rehearsal for the cast of Hamlet, Hillsborough Community College Ybor’s spring production.

  Theatre professors Suzy DeVore and Clareann Despain are co-directing the Shakespearean tragedy.

  The first day included introductions and a straight read-through of the script. The large cast and crew gathered around tables to become familiar with this soon-to-be close knit family.

  Students introduced who they were as well as their role. After some ice breakers, the first read-through, which included several breaks, was finished.

  Work on the play’s meter followed the initial reading. Deciphering archaic language in addition to the tricky scansion proved to be challenging for all parties involved.

  Luckily, the cast got some help. Humanities professor Dr. Gregory Thompson worked with students to break down iambic pentameter, which leads a pattern following unstressed, then stressed syllables with 10 to a line.

  Thompson brought along his own exercises to help students understand the rhythm behind the words. He confidently worked alongside the co-directors to guide a room full of uneasy college students through the challenges of Shakespeare.

  The third day of the intensive focused on delving deeper into the script. After making further edits, the cast began another full reading. This time, they stopped whenever necessary to discuss vital questions.

  Amid the deep analysis of the text, the cast would break to perform various exercises essential for the actor’s success. These exercises included focusing breath, as well as light physical and vocal warm ups.

  To prevent tediousness, any cast member could interject a tongue twister, an effective stretch, or anything else beneficial to the process. The group enjoyed sharing techniques and letting loose after spending hours analyzing all aspects of the show.

  This process carried into the final day of the weeklong rehearsal. The tag line of the intensive was “Stay open,” a phrase often repeated by professor Despain.

  This simple phrase proved to be an important reminder to the actors and crew members. Creative and out of the box ideas were able to take hold because of the open-minded atmosphere.

  Collectively, the cast and crew spent 27 hours working the script in the first week alone. That’s not counting the countless hour’s professors DeVore and Despain spent working together and individually before the first rehearsal even started.

  There were two rounds of auditions to fill every role, meaning some students were cast before others. Regardless, the two groups have come together armed with a passion for theatre and plenty of enthusiasm.

  From now until to opening, Hamlet rehearsals will take place during the Performing Workshop class. For those interested, students can join the class and fill crew roles if not cast.

  The show has also been edited for a shorter runtime as opposed to the fulllength. At 4,000 lines, it is Shakespeare’s longest play. HCC Ybor’s Theatre Department looks forward to presenting a fresh take on Hamlet April 7-10.