Word: roulleau
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Groundlings takes the form of a courtroom drama, in which Christian Roulleau '01--a member of the audience--is forced to stand trial for the murders in Hamlet. The play begins as Judge Titorelli (Max-Joseph Montel '01) takes the stand, while on stage behind him a troupe of actors pantomime Shakespeare's bloody plot. In search of a guilty party, the menacing Bailiff (Young Lee '99) whisks Roulleau out of his seat among the audience and into the witness stand. Prosecuting Counselor Clamence (Claire Farley '01) accuses him of complicity in the actors' murders: by doing nothing to prevent...
Although the notion of Hamlet as meta-drama isn't new to theater (i.e. Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead), Groundlings puts a clever and original spin on Shakespeare's nihilistic drama. Clamence indicts Roulleau for having watched a play, taken vicarious pleasure in the characters' lives, and ultimately refused to take a stake in its consequences. His trial thereby acquires a metaphorical character, addressing the purpose of theater in modern society and the nature of its relationship with its audience. In one tirade, Clamence likens Roulleau's behavior to our usual reaction to TV news...
Groundlings' best moments occur when it rises to this level of social commentary. In one scene, Roulleau defends himself by arguing that since Hamlet is fictional and scripted, he shares no responsibility in its events. Clamence responds by instructing the actors to portray some scenes from everyday life: two acquaintances exchange conventional pleasantries; two people vie to see who will hold the door for the other; a student pleads for an extension with her professor. As the audience listens to these stylized dialogues, we realize that Hamlet is no more scripted than the rehearsed set-pieces of our own private...
...keeping with its premise, Groundlings offers many opportunities for audience participation. Roulleau repeatedly asks the audience to storm out in protest, or to help him overcome the Bailiff. At times, the actors seemed hesitant as to how to respond when no brave audience member was forthcoming. However, the audience's unwillingness to intercede actually strengthened the play's premise, further emphasizing the audience's guilt...