At the end of his 1959 short story “Seymour: An Introduction,” J.D. Salinger mused about the ending of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “What ever became of that stalwart Fortinbras? Who eventually fixed his wagon?”
The query was in regard to Fortinbras, prince of Norway, who found the Danish royal family dead at his feet and Hamlet’s close friend Horatio offering him the crown.
Thirty-three years after Salinger’s musing, and several hundred years after Fortinbras eulogized Hamlet on stage for the first time, playwright Lee Blessing answered that question in his 1992 comedy, Fortinbras.
Under the direction of Robin Aronson, Cabrillo College Theater Arts’ production of Fortinbras opens April 11. Blessing’s play explores what happens when Hamlet’s characters return as ghosts and haunt Fortinbras.
While full of fantastical elements, Fortinbras tells a potent story of a leader who refuses to face reality and his insignificance.
“Fortinbras, the country’s new ruler, takes power and concocts a big lie to legitimize his claim to power,” director Aronson explains. He attempts to “deny and replace the truth of what happened, manipulating and gaining the support of the populace before facing the inescapable consequences of his actions.”
Some of these consequences include the runaway butterfly effect of sending his army on conquests to solidify his rule and quickly losing said army on pointless marches for glory.
“Fortinbras’ flawed military judgment spins his army out of his control. At first, it seems like a big party as the Army conquers one country after another, but the fun inevitably ends,” Aronson says. “This makes me think of all the modern technological innovations that initially enthrall and thrill us. but later keep us up at night worrying about the potential for unintended dire consequences.”
Turning Cabrillo’s Black Box Theater into a ghostly castle is the job of Skip Epperson, department chair and resident scenic designer. The cast of veterans and newcomers includes Sebastian Hardison as Osric, courtier turned political goon, Cody Balcomb Bartok as the titular character and Elektra Schrader as Ophelia.
Aronson could not be happier with the cast and crew. “I never had any idea who was going to audition for this play and the perfect cast and crew showed up,” he says. “I’m very excited for the community to see this show. Because as a director you’re there for every single moment and you never really know if something works or not until an audience is there to see it. So please come see it; we can’t do it without you.”
Fortinbras runs April 11-27 in Cabrillo College’s Black Box Theater, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos. Tickets: $19-$22. cabrillovapa.universitytickets.com
Disclosure: Mathew Chipman is a cast member in this production.
