Hamlet

Hamlet

Hamlet

October 16 – November 16

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Darko Tresnjak

Following his critically-acclaimed productions of The Tempest, Twelfth Night and Macbeth, Darko Tresnjak takes on Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Hamlet. A Danish prince returns home to find his father killed, and his mother marrying the murderer. When his father’s ghost rises to demand retribution, Hamlet is put in an impossible situation. In this opulent, Elizabethan staging, Hamlet’s tragic tale of revenge gets the full-on, terrifying — and bloody — treatment.

Darko’s Comments…

Shakespeare’s most famous play is both a bold theatrical thriller and a literary masterpiece. It has captured the imagination of the world, on the page and on the stage, for over four centuries.

But, strangely enough, there is no such thing as Hamlet. There are only Hamlets – three distinctly different versions of the text that survive in the First and the Second Quarto and the First Folio. And scholars have debated for centuries which version reflects Shakespeare’s final and true intent.

Our opulent production, set in the Elizabethan Era, is inspired by James Shapiro’s extraordinary book 1599: A Year in the Life of Shakespeare. It explores the political and the personal events that preceded the creation of the play in 1599. I encourage you to read this informative and entertaining book.

Front: Andrew Long and Kate Forbes. Back: Zach AppelmanAndrew Long(L to R) Brittany Vicars, Kate Forbes, Adám Montgomery, Andrew Long and Zach AppelmanThe cast of Hamlet.Kate Forbes, Zach Appelman, Andrew LongZach AppelmanAnthony Roach and Edward James HylandEdward James Hyland and Brittany Vicars Cliff Miller, Zach Appelman and James Seol Zach Appelman (front) and Andrew Long Zach Appelman James Seol, Zach Appelman and Cliff Miller Kate Forbes and Andrew Long Andrew Long, Edward James Hyland and Kate Forbes Brittany Vicars, Kate Forbes and Connor Prickett Andrew Long and Adám MontgomeryKate ForbesAndrew Long, Brittany Vicars, Edward James Hyland, and Kate Forbes The cast of HamletZach Appelman Zach Appelman and Brittany Vicars Brittany Vicars and Zach Appelman Adam Connolly, Brittany Vicars and Stephen MirZach Appelman and Floyd KingZach Appelman The cast of Hamlet Adam Montgomery, Floyd King (center) and the cast of HamletFloyd King and Adam Montgomery Kate ForbesZach Appelman (standing) and Andrew Long (kneeling)Zach Appelman (standing) and Andrew Long (kneeling)Kate Forbes and Zach Appelman Kate Forbes and Zach Appelman Brittany VicarsKate ForbesFloyd KingKate Forbes and Andrew LongJames Seol and Zach Appelman

Photos by T. Charles Erickson.

Artistic

Director
Darko Tresnjak

Set Design
Darko Tresnjak

Costume Design
Fabio Toblini

Lighting Design
Matthew Richards

Sound Design
Jane Shaw

Wig Design
Brandalyn Fulton

Associate Scenic Design
Colin McGurk

Fight Director
J. Allen Suddeth

Voice & Text Coach
Claudia Hill Sparks

Production Stage Manager
Renee Lutz

Assistant Stage Manager
Robyn Zalewski

Dramaturg
Elizabeth Williamson

Assistant Director
Sarah Hartmann

Cast

Hamlet
Zach Appelman

Rosencrantz/2nd Gravedigger
Curtis Billings

Cornelius, Player Poisoner, Norwegian Captain
Erik Christopher Bloomquist

Lord
Adam Connolly

Gertrude
Kate Forbes

Francisco/Voltimand/Player (Prologue)/Fortinbras
Conor M. Hamill

Polonius
Edward James Hyland

Bernardo/Player King/1st Gravedigger
Floyd King

King Claudius/Ghost of Hamlet’s Father
Andrew Long

Guildenstern/Marcellus/Priest
Cliff Miller

Lord
Stephen Mir

Orsric/Player Queen
Adám Montgomery

Lord
Connor Prickett

Laertes
Anthony Roach

Horatio
James Seol

Ophelia
Brittany Vicars

Sponsors

Principal Sponsor
travelers

Assisting Production Sponsor
federman, lally & remis

Shakespeare_in_American_CommunitiesHartford Stage’s production of Hamlet is part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.