Press
Psych Drama Company Puts Plays On Analyst’s Couch
"On stage she wears ripped jeans and a red bustier. There’s a gun. Lippe delivers Hamlet’s tortured soliloquies facing one of the huge mirrors, with her back to the audience. There’s something strange and powerful about it. At the end of the play the psychologist/actor chooses to leave one mirror exposed. It’s for Horatio, the last man standing in this tragedy.
"But, Lippe says, it’s also for the audience."
-Andrea Shea, WBUR
Brookline Psychologist Takes On Hamlet
"Wendy Lippe spends her days dissecting the deepest crevices of her patients’ psyches. At night, she becomes Hamlet, inhabiting the tortured mind of Shakespeare’s famous prince."
-Teddy Applebaum, Brookline TAB
A Damned Fine Hamlet
"The cast is amazing. Lippe is powerful, conveying hurt, mirth, and insanity wonderfully, and she plays off an incredibly talented cast."
-Yendi
"Alan R. White gives an intriguing frat-boy quality to Laertes"
"It's Linda Monchik's tough, tortured Gertrude who does most justice to Shakespeare's vision"
"Lippe is an accomplished actress, and her Hamlet is a woman of strong emotions: anger, passion, remorse, sarcasm, anger"
-Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Globe
"The simple set for The Psych Drama Company's production of Hamlet makes manifest the greatest aspect of Shakespeare's play. Three mirrors, stretching from ceiling to floor, engage all of us, actors and audience alike. It's the introspective self-awareness of his own shortcomings that makes Hamlet Shakespeare's greatest tragic hero and Psych turns the inside out, outwardly presenting the audience with the play's internality. Psych's production - starring director Dr. Wendy Lippe in the title role - bares the psychological processes and struggles of the characters, laying them out in harsh light. Dialogues are conducted between reflections and monologues are delivered to the self, with a back to the audience, yet all are in view.
"Overall this was an impressive undertaking for the drama group's maiden production. The idea behind the reinterpretation was well conceived, and if Psych Drama Company keeps at it they're certain to grow into the ambitious psychoanalytic-qua-theatrical role they have set out for themselves."
-Laura Brubaker, Allston-Pudding
"Wendy Lippe and The Psych Drama Company have done a magnificent job of bringing the agony and complexity of Hamlet's psyche to us. The vision for the play is executed in Lippe's careful attention to interpreting the text in ways that illuminate the family dynamics interpersonally, and show Hamlet's internal struggle to find her place in it, tragic as it is. Lippe slows down the speeches and action so that we are able to inspect in microscopic detail and metabolize the motivations, meanings, and expressions of feeling put forth by Hamlet et al. This aesthetic choice allows the audience to peer into the internal mind and soul of Hamlet as the therapist or psychoanalyst would, lingering and reflecting on each element and new revelation of Hamlet as she unravels in the wake of her father's demise and comes to consciousness about the course of action that she ultimately, fretfully takes. The actors are uniformly superb in their ability to dig deep and work as an ensemble to give us this riveting look at a classic we think we know, yet here come to know at a whole other level. This is a fine piece of work."
-Goldie Eder, LICSW, BCD
"This is an outstanding performance. It is the most refreshing interpretation of Hamlet that I have ever seen. And, I have seen many. Congratulations to the full cast on a fine job carrying out Dr. Lippe's vision."
-Arthur Gray, Ph.D.
"I could 'wax lyrical' for paragraphs about the unique perspective, the Herculean 'feat' of 'taking on' the interpretation AND the acting of Hamlet...and....and....and....
"Just a short note to send KUDOS to Dr. Lippe and everyone involved with the wonderful and unforgettable production!"
-Noah Yonge
"This is a must see performance. Wendy Lippe is astounding in her versatility as an actress as well as a director. The discussion following the performance although too brief was a great reminder of the timelessness of Hamlet and its universal themes as relevant today as when it was written."
-N. Sandman
"Wendy Lippe is a superb actress and director. Whether or not you are a Shakespeare person (and I am not), if you would like to treat yourself to an amazing production and performance of Hamlet (in contemporary dress), this is the final week (Wed thru Sat). Wendy's direction is imaginative and her performance is nothing short of spectacular. The presentation takes place at the Boston Center For The Arts, Plaza Black Box on Tremont St. Tickets are available at Bostix and at the theater and are very reasonably priced. There is a convenient parking garage on Clarendon St, just a few blocks from the theater. Ellen and I saw the production this past weekend and were thrilled. It is a true gem!!"
-Marty Aronson
"I went to the last performance of Wendy Lippe’s Hamlet, and I’ve been reading the comments of other members of the audience back through earlier performances. Most people have been very positive. And while the number of people who actually given reasons for this reaction is thin, some did, and those have perked me up. I am feeling myself, however, that there is something in this play, and in this particular performance, that most – maybe all who have commented —have missed, and it is very important. So I’ve decided to put my thoughts into the mix of comments in the hope they will spark some reactions.
"I have always found, in Hamlet, the playing out of an age-old dilemma of the human spirit: the conflict between a thinking person’s world and the world of a person who is driven to action by strong unthinking emotions. Shakespeare puts Hamlet in a position in which those emotional tugs are powerful ones: revenge for a father’s murder, a murderer who seduces and marries Hamlet’s mother, and who wields the ultimate power of a king. But we also find out that Hamlet is a person of thought. Why go to the trouble of putting on a “play within a play” if not to avoid just jumping to accept those ghostly words (from the start Hamlet is already raising questions about Claudius’ marrying his mother so quickly after his father’s death). Rather, Hamlet seeks to find evidence that what the “ghost” said was true, and was not a projection of a troubled mind. Count one for reason in this round! And Hamlet reasons about suicide in “To Be or Not To Be”. How many people in a state of despair who have committed suicide have tried to reason through whether or not to do it? This tension in Hamlet is almost unbearable! But as the play progresses, Hamlet’s reason seems to be winning. Even after becoming convinced that Claudius “did it” when Hamlet has a chance to kill Claudius Hamlet realizes that simple revenge will not serve the interests of justice, and refrains. Another point for reason. In the Lippe performance the tension in this scene especially – and think of how powerfully tempting simple revenge must be here -- is played beautifully.
"Hamlet as a female is what drew me to this version of Hamlet. I asked, “If Hamlet was a woman, what would that do to the multitude of themes and sub-themes in this play, but especially to the power of this basic dilemma that Shakespeare wants us to feel in this play?” Now that’s an intriguing question! And indeed, this change brought with it many other interesting changes in the relationships in the play: Hamlet and Ophelia, Hamlet and her mother, Claudius and Hamlet, all played wonderfully, and clearly, by Lippe. Did that overpower Shakespeare’s basic theme about this abiding conflict between thinking and emotion? Well, what I saw that Saturday night was that theme put in a new light that made it clear as a bell. Think again of Hamlet’s chance to kill Claudius and how those two forces were portrayed by Lippe. It showed this tension now etched in Hamlet’s soul and how, unresolved, something like that can bring a person to the brink of madness.
"My point here is that in this performance gave us a portrayal of this dilemma more clearly and forcefully than any other performance of this play that I have seen. Was this enhanced by the additional layers that Lippe’s female Hamlet brought to this play? Well, YES, that new light, with its own complexities, made this dilemma stand out. That’s what I really loved about this performance. I will think about it for many years to come.
"Then there’s the last scene. Shakespeare turns the tables on all of us. It is emotion – revenge, anger, hatred – that wins out in the end! Every death in that scene, especially Claudius’ own at Hamlet’s hand, is the result of passion, revenge, anger, fear. No justice was served by any of these. There is no way to not react in kind to those final despicable acts of Claudius. Or is there? Is this Shakespeare telling his 17th Century audiences something he perceived about themselves? I think maybe more than that! Shakespeare, through this masterful performance, is giving us, now, in the first part 21st Century, the same message about ourselves. This performance, especially with a female Hamlet in this play, shows us the universality of Shakespeare’s message.
"But is it inevitably universal? Everyone in the world should see Lippe’s Hamlet and hear Shakespeare’s message through it – and do something about it that will make this a message that will not be true of the next generation and the generation after that in this Century. In a world of nuclear weapons, rapid communication, and sophisticated technology, our survival as a human race may depend on that!"
-rjs, WBUR.org
"I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and found it to be riveting. I would not have realized the production was 3 ½ hours long had I not been told of its length and advised to visit the bathroom before being seated. This Hamlet was certainly not the version I studied in high school, but I found it to be extremely innovative while still respectful of Shakespeare. I truly look forward to the next play from the company."
-longbeacher, WBUR.org
"Pertaining to a comment below about the director's creating a "self-aggrandizing" production... Among other things, Hamlet is one of the penultimate explorations of the impact upon an individual's sense of worth (e.g. "to be or not to be") in the context of betrayal by family and friends. The play focuses intensely upon the choices of this one person, Hamlet, and the consequences of those choices. IMHO, this production's use of mirrors, along with its depiction of an act of sexual abuse and its manifestation of the Ghost of Hamlet's father, are provocative directorial choices that bring into the realm of physical metaphor what is going on inside Hamlet. Saw this play over a week ago and still thinking about it, which is a great compliment."
-To BE, WBUR.org
"I'm among those who were very impressed with this production. I just wanted to add that the gay aspect of this Hamlet production struck me as being more ambiguous than overt. If one looked literally at this production, then one should be bothered by the fact that Ophelia's two brothers are from different racial backgrounds. Considering the amount of suspension of disbelief required to enjoy any play, I decided that gender wasn't particularly important. That's not a bad thing to take away from this production!"
-AZS, WBUR.org
"I saw the final performance and thought Dr. Lippe's performance was awesome! Furthermore, when considering the fact that she directed and played the lead role her performance and the performance of her cast was even more impressive. I have become a big fan of Psych Drama and look forward to future productions!"
-lorenzo, WBUR.org
"Brilliant insights into complex characters who have fascinated theater goers since it was written. Hamlet has beckoned to actors for generations and Dr. Lippe has risen to the challenge with acumen and power. As a director, she has focused attention on the other characters as well, particularly the women. Gertrude and Ophelia are portrayed with great sensitivity. The after-performance discussion was interesting-I wish I could have heard more of them. All in all, a most satisfying theatrical experience. Kudos to everyone involved with the Psych Drama Company!"
-nycgal, WBUR.org
"I saw the play and found it to be something new for me. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates different interpretations of a story that has experienced its fair share of coverage over the years. I believe that the bold approach that I observed was a wonderful way to grab my attention. Very enjoyable."
-SN, WBUR.org
"The black-box set is well conceived, a simple sequence of mirrors in which the actors (and the audience) can study their reflections"
"The music by Varsity Drag is, in its pulsing mystery, atmospheric"
-Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Globe
The Psych Drama Company Launches: Shakespearean and Greek Tragedy Through a Psychologist’s Lens
A new Boston-area theater company is set to pull back the curtain and reveal the psychological underpinnings of classical Greek and Shakespearean drama. The Psych Drama Company will unveil their first production, Shakespeare’s "Hamlet," from Nov. 30 to Dec. 17 2011, at the Black Box Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts. Shakespeare’s tragedy will take place in a contemporary setting that highlights the psychology behind the thoughts, feelings and motives that drive the characters in the play. Their production also features original music composed by Boston indie band Varsity Drag, adding to the play’s contemporary, edgy feel. In this new interpretation, Hamlet is a woman and the sole heir of a wealthy, dysfunctional family in an isolated world with few social connections. The play examines the dynamics of individuals and families caught up in an increasingly complex and tragic web of events.
Wendy Lippe, Ph.D., who founded The Psych Drama Company in December 2010, is a clinical psychologist who was on the faculty of Harvard Medical School for over a decade and is currently an adjunct assistant professor at Boston University. Lippe has hit the boards herself in the past, when she played the part of Hamlet, portraying the character as a woman for the Sporadic Evolution Theatre and later in a production by the Algonkuin Theatre Company. For the upcoming production at the BCA, Lippe will wear a new hat – that of director.
A reviewer for the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester, who attended Lippe’s performance as Hamlet in the Algonkuin production, said "Lippe’s feline ferocity energizes the production with the breath of authenticity" and called her performance "invigorating" and "delightfully unhinged." In a Boston Globe story about Lippe’s decision to play Hamlet as a woman, author Denise Taylor says in Shakespearean parlance: "to be or not to be a female Hamlet is no longer a question for Wendy Lippe." In explaining her acting choices when trying to infuse the character with female traits, Lippe told the Globe "I try to integrate more emotional and physical expression…and integrating that expressiveness with the more obsessive quality feels like integrating both a female and a male sensibility," Lippe said.
Part of the Psych Drama Company’s mission is to explore what makes people tick and what brings out the best and worst in human behavior. After a theater-goer experiences a Psych Drama production, the Company’s aim is to help audience members reflect on themselves through a psychological prism. The Company is especially interested in Shakespearean and Greek tragedy, but plans to offer a broad range of dramatic works to explore the depths and complexities of the psyche. Its works are targeted at professionals in the mental health community as well as the general public.
In keeping with this mission, The Psych Drama Company is planning to have mental health professionals, in Boston and New York City write "jargon free" papers which they will then present prior to individual performances. The idea behind these papers, which will be free of psychological lingo, is to stimulate insight and encourage audience members to get in touch with their inner-most thoughts and feelings. The authors of these papers will also be invited to collaborate with the company’s artistic team to help shape the performances. As an alternative to formal paper presentations, authors may choose to prepare abstracts (without a full paper) which they can then use to generate discussions with our audiences.
"Our use of classic dramatic works will be an exceptional tool for the exploration of the internal landscape of the human soul. Although we are particularly interested in Shakespearean and Greek tragedy, we will utilize a broad range of dramatic works to explore the depths and complexities of the human psyche. We are eager to continually expand the work that we do while becoming an established part of the local theater scene," Lippe says.
Lippe hopes the Psych Drama Company’s approach to theater will be at least a partial antidote to our fast-paced world of technology and social media, where she says "it’s easy to lose track of one’s own inner-workings."
For more information contact: Wendy Lippe, Ph.D., The Psych Drama Company, 617-275-9167. www.thepsychdramacompany.com.
About the Boston Center for the Arts: The Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) is the nonprofit performing and visual arts center whose mission is to support working artists to create, perform and exhibit new work; to develop new audiences; and to connect the arts to a broad public. For more information, visit www.bcaonline.org.
-Nancy Rabinowitz
(Former) Director of Publicity
The Psych Drama Company combines psychological insight with dramatic art
to explore the timeless complexities of the human soul.
© 2011 The Psych Drama Company/Pandora’s Box Productions, Inc.
