In order to properly portray the intensity of the complex Shakespearean play, fall play director Jeffrey Draper asked Kit Wilder, his close friend and fight scene choreographer, to direct the dramatic fight scenes in the show.

“The biggest challenge for Hamlet is to avoid one thing and to succeed at another thing, […] and I want to succeed at having [the fight] be a part of the story,’ Wilder said.

Draper called Kit to make the Hamlet fight scenes look professional, yet easy for the actors to perform. Wilder has previously directed and acted in Hamlet through other theater companies such as the City Lights Theater.

Although not all of the performers are a part of the intense scenes, Draper thought that the stage combat would be a new form of acting for the whole cast. Besides giving the cast a new opportunity, he wanted the actors to be comfortable while portraying these scenes.

“[I called Kit] to make sure that the sword fighting would be as safe as possible and also look really polished,” he said.

The cast worked mainly on the last scene of the play in which the characters Laertes and Hamlet fight to death. Vishal Vaidya (10) and Namrata Vakkalagadda (11) play those roles, and they expressed their excitement in using swords to portray the fight scene. Both actors had to work with an open mind to the new form of acting because they had never learned combat.

When introduced to the challenges of fight scenes, Namrata also took acting into consideration while depicting the intensity of the last scene in Hamlet.

“You are not just fighting for fun; you are trying to play a character,” she said.

Along with being a novice at fight scenes, Vishal has never performed theatrically before the fall play. Even without any previous experience, he said he received assurance from both directors that the show will be successful.

“[Wilder] gave us a great edge on creating the fight scene, and its going to look awesome,” he said. “The stance and just learning how to make [the moves] look professional [were challenging].”

The first show of Hamlet will be on Thursday, October 25.