The Wooster Group

The Wooster Group is a Performance Ensemble. Under the direction of Elizabeth LeCompte, they perform theatre, dance, and media. They do modern and classic texts, found materials, film, and video. (The Wooster Group)

They started out in 1968 as "The Performance Group". In 1975, they started creating original scripts and changed their name to "The Wooster Group" in 1980. They tour around the world but their home is at The Performing Garage in New York City. (Wikipedia)

Thomas Connors points out, "Confusing an audience is par for the course with the Wooster Group. The 34-year-old New York company has always made a habit of not merely tinkering with the canon, but tearing plays apart and reconstituting them in not necessarily immediately recognizable form" (Extreme O'Neill, par. 12). So when I felt confused when watching the clip below, I wasn't too hard on myself!

As you will see, the Wooster group puts a new spin on an old Hamlet. In 1964, Hamlet was performed on Broadway, starring Richard Burton. The performance was filmed and this is what they play in the background while the live actors imitate, comment on, or ignore the actors on the screen behind them. There is a smaller screen which is playing the live performance against the large screen of the 1964 performance. (Kennedy, par. 3)



In the beginning of the clip, when the music started playing and the older gentleman came onstage, I heard the squeaky wheels and was reminded of the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz. That's when I knew this performance was going to be a "little out there". The thought may cross your mind that they may be having technical difficulties when the screen flickers and you see snow. But, that's all part of the performance. Or is it? The audience of a play never actually knows if a mistake is made as long as the show keeps going. This clip does make you think, if nothing else.

This is definitely different from what I have experienced at the theater. You can't say this is your typical Hamlet! It's definitely not boring. Expect the unexpected with this group!

Works Cited:

Thomas Connors. "Extreme O'Neill." Theatre Communications Group. American Theatre. Theatre Communications Group. n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2010. http://www.tcg.org/publications/at/feb09/oneill.cfm

"About the Group." The Wooster Group. The Wooster Group. n.d. 27 Feb. 2010
http://thewoostergroup.org/twg/about2.html

Wikipedia. "Performing Garage." Wikipedia. 16 Oct. 2009. Web. 27 Feb. 2010.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performing_Garage

Louise Kennedy. "Drifting in the Shadows of Hamlet." Boston.com. The Boston Globe. 15 Nov. 2007. Web. 27 Feb. 2010. http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2007/11/15/drifting_in_the_shadows_of_hamlet/