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Pick Your Poison The cheeky wordplay at the heart of Shakespeare's Hamlet hasn't gone unnoticed by the organizers of one of the most talked- about galas of Austin's social scene: Ballet Austin's Fête and Fête*ish: To Be Seen or Not To Be Seen on September 18. The dual-themed events deftly play off the dynastic, regal tone of Hamlet and its darker, messier mood. The more formal Fête, which will start at 6 pm, will be "posh, elegant, luxurious… classy, but hugely innova- tive," promises Christi Cuellar Lotz, Ballet Austin's director of development. Meanwhile, the compan- ion party, Fête*ish, which begins at 8 pm, is the edgy stepsister, harking back to the inner turmoil the character of Hamlet experi- ences. Later that night, the two crowds combine. "The challenge every year is outdoing the previous year," Lotz says. "But so far, so good." Tickets to Fête start at $500; tickets to Fête*ish start at $150. September 18, JW Marriott Austin; balletaustin.org/fete photography by anne Marie Melendez (haMlet); tony Spielberg (woMen); Jerry hayeS (long Center); CaSey ChapMan roSS (FÊte). oppoSite page: tony Spielberg "The resiliency of shakespeare is in The power of The sToryTelling. words are words, sTeps are sTeps, buT The scenes embedded wiThin The sTory of Hamlet are presenT Today." —stephen mills clockwise from below: Ballet Austin dancer Frank Shott—pictured here portraying Hamlet with Ashley Lynn Sherman as Ophelia—will retire next year; Anne Marie Melendez dancing the role of Ophelia in Ballet Austin's 2009 production; Hamlet returns to the Long Center September 4–6 to open Ballet Austin's 2015–2016 season. t here's t his incredible way t hat he has gone into t he music of Philip Glass. Stephen Mills: I had always loved Philip Glass, but I had never had the financial resources to use his music. In 2000, I suddenly had the resources and decided that I was going to do something that interested me and something that was as far out as I could think at that time. CR: How do you tell Shakespeare's story with no words? But they're there. the words are there. that's the thing: If you love the work, all those moments are there. If you don't know the story, Stephen is such a strong storyteller that in the very beginning you get this idea, at the wedding, that these are people who are really happy. then Hamlet is not, and there's death.… It's really amazing the way all that happens with the use of black, white, and red—color and contrast. SM: It is an audience favorite; it's something that people ask for. and it's a work that I like to revisit. as an artist, every time I revisit a work, my knowledge of it grows deeper, and it's almost like the piece speaks back to me. there are dancers in the company to whom the role of Hamlet is deeply connected. One of those dancers is Frank Shott, who was in the original production of hamlet but played the part of laertes. Now he's in the role of Hamlet [as he was in 2009]. He's retiring next year, so that's another reason to bring it back; selfishly, I love watching Frank in this role. CR : there's a lot there to love, and it's done so well. and this year it's being performed in austin, and also at the Kennedy Center [by the Washington Ballet], and in augsburg, Germany. For a work that's been in the repertoire for 15 years, that's pretty big. SM: the resiliency of Shakespeare is in the power of the storytelling. Words are words, steps are steps, but the scenes embedded within the story of hamlet are present today. Betrayal, murder… CR: …dysfunctional families. SM: and power and fragility in terms of Ophelia: her other self, her internal self, and the way she splits from that. Shakespeare tells human stories of relation- ships that are still valuable. CR: We are really blessed in austin that we have an innovative and curious community, so we will always want Stephen to continue to approach an empty studio with something that's never been done before. We're always looking for funding for things that are new. SM: Our hope is that people are making us stewards of their gifts because they believe in the mission of the organization and they believe that whatever project we produce with their gifts will be excellent. balletaustin.org AW AUSTINWAY.com 45