Hamlet

The Prague Shakespeare Festival, Prague's only professional English-language classical theatre company, and the Mermaid Theatre Company will present the American premiere of a new one man presentation of William Shakespeare's Hamlet by PSF Artistic Director Guy Roberts in Chicago at the Gorilla Tango Theatre February 6th-15th, 2009 in preparation for a May 2009 European premiere

One man. Eighteen Characters. Ninety Minutes. In his tour-de-force one-man presentation of Hamlet, Guy Roberts presents unique insights into the mind of Shakespeare's greatest and most famous creation. Using only Shakespeare's words, the audience experiences the world of the play through Hamlet's eyes - only seeing and hearing the scene and moments that the character Hamlet himself experiences in the play. Taking this singular journey with the Prince of Denmark, audiences will understand the actions, themes and motives of the play's main character as never before. Whether seen as story of devastating human domestic passions or a suspenseful political mystery of intrigue, revenge and betrayal, the tragedy of Denmark's "sweet prince" continues to challenge and inspire.

PSF Artistic Director Guy Roberts starring as Hamlet, states, "Perhaps what keeps Hamlet fresh and exciting is that these questions remain for each audience: why does not Hamlet immediately avenge his father's murder? Is it the weight of the conscience 'that doth make cowards of us all?'  What keeps us from acting on our basest and most immediate impulses-is it social convention or personal morality-or simply the fear of punishment? What keeps us alive when all forces point towards giving up and submitting to death-that 'undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns?' Is Hamlet a hero?  Perhaps-but the ambiguity of his heroic nature is what keeps him so fascinating. Though the play contains as much intrigue (and possibly bloodshed) as many action movies, perhaps no hero-or villain-in history has embodied such a complexity of thought and emotion. In the end, Hamlet is an exciting and essential theatrical experience compelling audiences to decide for themselves whether he is philosopher, dilettante, hero, villain, lover, madman, fighter, victim or some fluid, ambiguous and contradictory combination of all of these."

The Prague Shakespeare Festival presents professional theatre productions, workshops, classes, lectures and other theatrical events, of the highest quality, conducted primarily in English by a multinational ensemble of professional theatre artists, with an emphasis on the plays of William Shakespeare, bringing to the Czech Republic, European and World audiences English-language based performances that are fresh, bold, imaginative, thought-provoking, and eminently accessible, connecting the truths of the past with the challenges and possibilities of today.

Hamlet will run at the Gorilla Tango Theatre February 6 - 15 and tickets can be purchased at www.gorillatango.com or by calling 773-598-4549.