The Arts Scene

This time around, "to be or not to be" is not, in fact, the question. The query that Dov Weinstein, founder of the traveling Tiny Ninja Theater, poses instead: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the karate kicks and flung ninjitsu stars of- an outraged ninja. Talk about creative-and combative-license.

But Weinstein's performance of "Hamlet" at the Manbites Dog Theater in Durham is not a merciless butchering of the venerable poet's words. Weinstein reconstructs aspects of the play's production, rather than rewriting Shakespeare's masterpiece. He uses diminutive ninja figurines as characters, swapping out appropriate household items for set pieces-shoeboxes, chunks of cardboard, a jewelry box.

Lighting and different inflections for the voices round out his special effects. Poor Ophelia drowns by being plopped in a glass of tap water. And when wishing to convey the ghostly presence of Hamlet's father, Weinstein puts the Hamlet the Ninja in his mouth.

Though you might keep waiting for Weinstein's mother to stomp in and tell him it's time to put away the toys, his deftly engineered grip on the puppeteered reality never loosens. Despite a reliance on mass-produced plastic toys and a melange of household items to put on the show, Tiny Ninja Theater resists the gimmicky categorization. "Romeo and Juliet," Weinstein's first production, and "Macbeth" were both lauded nationwide. And this latest performance, condensed like the others into a digestible 45 minutes, is the first to use television screens and cameras to help the audience see. With the high-tech innovation, Weinstein hopes to perform to larger audiences in bigger and more prestigious venues.

In the end, it hardly matters that an inch-tall plaything-rather than a velvet-clad Mel Gibson-is posing as the play's vengeful protagonist. It is Weinstein's passion for the words and tongue-in-cheek take on stagecraft that make this performance so enjoyable.

"Hamlet" will run Wednesday through Sunday, Dec. 8 though 11 (no Friday performance). Showtime 8:15 p.m., except Sunday at 3:15 p.m.