Park Square's New Adaptation of HAMLET Begins Next Month

Park Square continues its 43rd season with a world premiere adaptation of Hamlet by Joel Sass. Although Sass is a frequent interpreter of the Bard, Hamlet marks his first foray into Shakespeare's canon for Park Square, following adaptations of Oliver Twist and Great Expectations and recent stagings of The Realistic Joneses and Good People. The production is supported by Shakespeare in American Communities, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest.

"This very old story still has so much penetrating insight into the hopes and fears of the human heart and the forces that drive us: love, thirst for power, and revenge," says Sass, who also directs and designs the production's scenery.

Devastated by his father's death and disgusted by his mother's hasty marriage to his hated uncle, Denmark's Prince Hamlet (Kory LaQuess Pullam) has hit the rock bottom of despair. Now the ghost of his father appears, claiming the uncle murdered him - driving Hamlet to avenge a crime that may or may not be a product of his own imagining. Explore Shakespeare's definitive psychological murder mystery through a new lens. Within a stark contemporary setting and an atmosphere filled with modernist music, Sass takes us on a journey into the mind of Hamlet. A diverse cast, with women playing some traditionally male roles, adds a new dimension to characters you may think you know - but will see in a new way.

Of the casting, Sass says, "In addition to the overall inclusivity of the world we're representing, we're shifting gender in characters like Barnarda, Polonia, and Horatio, so we have more women walking the halls of Elsinore, expanding the notion of who carries power in these plays, and certainly giving us opportunities for more complicated subtext in relationships."

The cast for William Shakespeare's Hamlet includes Gabriel Angieri, Kathryn Fumie, Charles Hubbell,* Theo Langason, Wesley Mouri,* Maeve Coleen Moynihan, Tinne Rosenmeier, Sandra Struthers,* and Imani Vaughn-Jones.

The production team for William Shakespeare's Hamlet includes Alice Frederickson (Costume Designer), Michael P. Kittel (Lighting Designer), Kathy Maxwell (Video Designer), C. Andrew Mayer (Sound Designer), Christopher Mayer (Scenic Designer), and Connor McEvoy (Properties Designer).

William Shakespeare's Hamlet Performance Schedule: Previews begin Friday, October 13, and continue through Thursday, October 19. October 20 is Opening Night, and the run continues through November 11. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. except for Saturday and Sunday matinees, which begin at 2 p.m. All performances are in the company's Proscenium Stage in Saint Paul's historic Hamm Building, 20 W. Seventh Place.

Ticket prices: Previews: $20, $27 and $37. Regular Run: $25, $40 and $60. Discounts are available for seniors, those under age 30, and groups. Tickets are on sale at the Park Square ticket office, 20 W. Seventh Place, or by phone: 651.291.7005, (Noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday), or online at www.parksquaretheatre.org.

*Member, Actors Association

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