Antaeus Theatre Company returns to in-person performance with a new production of Hamlet, directed by Shakespearean expert Elizabeth Swain and featuring long-time company member Ramón de Ocampo in the title role. Performances begin May 20 and continue through June 20 at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale. Low-priced previews begin May 15.
Following the death of his father, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns home to find his uncle now occupies the throne and the queen's bed. Spurred by the ghost of his father and surrounded by spies, Hamlet must choose between moral integrity and vengeance.
Like the company's critically acclaimed production of the Bard's Measure for Measure, which Swain co-directed just prior to the pandemic, this Hamlet has been streamlined for an all-Antaeus cast of ten.
Starring alongside de Ocampo are real-life married couple
Gregg T. Daniel and
Veralyn Jones as Claudius and Gertrude;
Jeanne Syquia as Ophelia;
Peter Van Norden as Polonius;
Michael Kirby as Laertes; and
Adam J. Smith as Horatio.
Sally Hughes, Lloyd Roberson II and
Joel Swetow each play multiple roles.
"Doubling up on roles and cross-gender casting is nothing new," says Swain. "In Shakespeare's time, like now, it was often a matter of expediency; all the actors were men, and they often simply didn't have enough actors. In our production,
Sally Hughes takes on four characters in the space of 10 pages, which should be something to watch. She literally has to run off the stage, switch costumes and run back on five times in about 10 minutes."
In terms of setting and costumes, Swain's production takes place in "an imaginary world."
"So many of the belief systems expressed in the play-Heaven, Hell and, of course, ghosts-run counter to our modern beliefs," she explains. "The realm of this production is mixed, with a flavor of the Renaissance and a touch of the contemporary. But what remains timeless about Hamlet is the corrupt nature of society. At its heart, this is a revenge play. And it's a very good one."
The Antaeus creative team includes scenic designer
Stephen Gifford, costume designer
Dianne K. Graebner, lighting designer
Jared A. Sayeg, sound designer
Cricket S. Myers, prop master Shen Heckel and violence designer
Ned Mochel. The assistant director is Kaite Brandt, and the production stage manager is Taylor Anne Cullen. The production is sponsored, in part, by Rosemary A. Hernandez.
Antaeus is an actor-driven theater company that explores and produces timely and timeless works, grounded in its passion for the classics. The company illuminates diverse human experiences through performance, training and outreach. It believes in the transformative power of live theater.
The Kiki &
David Gindler Performing Arts Center complements Glendale's ongoing commitment to integrate vibrant arts space into the fabric of city life, ensuring the arts remain accessible to all. Located just a few blocks away from The Americana at Brand and the remodeled Glendale Central Library as well as the Alex Theatre, the center promises to build upon Glendale's growing reputation as an arts and entertainment destination. The center includes an 80-seat theater, a reconfigurable 36-seat performance/classroom space, and a theater classics library.
Performances of Hamlet begin on Friday, May 20, with performances continuing on Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. and Mondays at 8 p.m., through June 20 (no matinee on Saturday, May 21; dark Monday, May 23 and Monday, May 30). Four preview performances take place on Sunday, May 15 at 2 p.m.; and on Tuesday, May 17; Wednesday, May 18; and Thursday, May 19, each at 8 p.m.. Tickets to all performances are $40; tickets to previews are $20.
The Kiki &
David Gindler Performing Arts Center is located at 110 East Broadway, Glendale, CA 91205 (between N. Brand Blvd. and Artsakh Ave.). The first 90 minutes of parking is free, then $2 per hour, in Glendale Marketplace garage located at 120 Artsakh Ave. (between Broadway and Harvard). The theater is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible.
For reservations and information, call 818-506-1983 or go to
www.antaeus.org.
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