Best of the Bard

Now in its 16th year, the Ojai Shakespeare Festival has at last come to produce what’s generally regarded as Shakespeare’s greatest achievement.

While not a “Hamlet” for the ages, necessarily, the production is solid and swift-moving, distinguished by some interesting character emphasis to counter its sometimes wacky casting.

You know the story: Hamlet learns from the ghost of his late father, the King of Denmark (Edward Buckle), that he was killed by his brother, who then married Hamlet’s mother. High jinks and much bloodshed ensue. The show moves apace, though it’s still three hours.

Ryan Lee’s performance in the title role is fine, though a bit more relaxed than the character is usually portrayed. This may be partly a result of the commendable decision for the cast not to affect English, much less Danish, accents.

The high points may be in the supporting roles. Especially notable is Joshua Karton as Polonius, a relatively minor character given greater emphasis by director Paul Backer to the point that Karton steals virtually every scene he’s in as the comic, long-winded spouter of platitudes--save for the last, which is curiously under-staged.

Long-time local favorites Virginia Streat-Buckle and Ronald Rezac give typically solid performances as Hamlet’s mother and murderous stepfather; David de Santos and Andy Hungerford appear to good effect as Hamlet’s friends Laertes and Horatio. Points, too, to Vincent Ugolini as comic nobleman Osric and to Bruce Solow as a gravedigger.

The wacky casting includes that of women in the roles of Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and royal guards, though Jessica Emmerling, Sarah P. Meaney and Carla Aillo rise to the task.

Plus, a clearly adult (Ms.) Jaye Hersh plays Ophelia--though since Hamlet has such issues with his mother, maybe he was destined to romance a (somewhat) older woman. Casting women in significant male roles, however, can’t help the festival’s quest to be taken seriously. But if Sarah Bernhardt could play Hamlet several times at the turn of the century, perhaps anything goes.

The festival also includes an afternoon performance of an abbreviated “Twelfth Night” by a company of youths directed by Backer and Hersh.

The cast seems to have a strong grasp of the language, which is commendable, though the acting is . . . well, remember that Kenneth Branagh, Helena Bonham Carter and even Laurence Olivier may have appeared in such productions early in their careers, and they did just fine.

Murder by the Sea: Bill Bateman, mucky-muck behind the Dockside Mystery Theater, tells patrons that in some cases their escorts can be implicated in the staged “murder” and its solution, which take place aboard a boat that cruises out of Ventura Harbor.

“A woman gave us her husband’s driver’s license before the show,” he recently elaborated.

“We found the ‘victim’ with the husband’s license clutched in her hand, and announced him as an obvious suspect.

“But the husband had figured out the gag, and confessed that he and the ‘dead’ girl had been having an affair for two years. The cast were rewriting their script like crazy, the audience loved it, and we were finally able to bend the story around to the planned ending, after all.”

BE THERE

The 16th Annual Ojai Shakespeare Festival at Libbey Bowl, Ojai Avenue and Signal Street. “Hamlet,” Thursday-Sunday, 7:30 p.m. $13-$18; children 12 and under free. “Twelfth Night,” Saturday-Sunday, 4 p.m., Libbey Park lawn; $5; free for children under 5. Ends Aug. 16. (805) 646-9455.

Dockside Mystery Theater’s “Night Sweats,” 7:30 p.m. every Saturday at Ventura Harbor Village. $38.50 per person, which includes appetizers, wine, cheese, two drinks and a sunset cruise on the Bay Queen. 18 and older only. Reservations required. (805) 647-4560. Web site: www.mysterytheater.com.