Staying true to the script

Lenny Leibowitz, assistant professor of theatre, has directed many plays at USI, but there is one play that he has never gotten the chance to direct: Shakespeare’s Hamlet. On March 20 Leibowitz gets that chance, though it almost never happened.

“I originally was thinking of some other plays, but the reason I chose Hamlet was because there was so many talented people who showed up at the audition,” Leibowitz said.
Originally Leibowitz was considering plays with smaller casts, which leave little opportunity for the others who were so impressive, so a larger cast play was chosen.

“I had always wanted to direct Hamlet,” Leibowitz said,  “so I thought, ‘perfect opportunity, a show with a big cast, a lot of young characters and one that asks a lot of questions that young people ask.’”

Along with students, there are professional actors who take part in the Repertory Project, though Leibowitz doesn’t use a different style between student actors and professional actors.

“Its less a distinction between professional and student, though sometimes it is,” Leibowitz said, “and more of a distinction between every actor.”

While sometimes the actors and actresses prove to be a challenge for Leibowitz, he finds the plays themselves to be the most challenging aspect of directing.

“The plays are hard, to just not fail the artistry of the play,” Leibowitz said.

And while some directors attempt to change the play and put a new spin on a classic, Leibowitz has no intention of following those ways.

 “I’m going to try my best to present a production that is devoid of ego” Lebowitz said.

Devoid of ego, according to Leibowitz, means not imposing his personality on the play or doing something to “party” on the script with tricks and gimmicks.

Though Hamlet might be foreign to some at USI, Leibowitz hopes that students can pull something out of it.

“I hope that students find it an exciting story and I hope some questions that the play asks detonate in students  heads that will linger,” Leibowitz said.

“I’m trying my best to make the work come alive and tell the truth.”