Hamlet opens Writers' Theatre Season
Writers' Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, opens its 21st season with Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare and directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam. The production runs September 4, 2012 - November 11, 2012 at Writers' Theatre, 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe.
The king is dead-murdered by his own brother, who has claimed the throne and the widowed queen. And the world goes on...but the Prince cannot. Shakespeare's greatest tragedy is equal parts ghost story, political intrigue, doomed romance and murder mystery, driven by one of literature's most intriguing, enigmatic and controversial characters.
"It is an unbelievable luxury to be working with Shakespeare's mighty text in such an intimate setting and with such a remarkable cast. Exploring such epic characters and themes in a compressed environment allows for a level of detail in the work that breathes fresh life into this well-known text." says Artistic Director Michael Halberstam. "Of course, any investigation of Shakespeare's masterpieces must start with the cast and we have a truly remarkable gathering of artists. The desire to bring Scott Parkinson's Dane to the stage has proved to be a formidable rallying point and Writers' Theatre has subsequently assembled an ensemble of actors that truly articulates the full breadth and sophistication of the Chicago acting community."
The cast includes Scott Parkinson (Hamlet), Shannon Cochran (Gertrude), Michael Canavan (Claudius), Timothy Edward Kane (Laertes), Larry Yando (Ghost), Ross Lehman (Polonius), Kareem Bandealy (Horatio), Liesel Matthews (Ophelia), Julian Parker (Rosencrantz), Witold Huzior (Fortinbras) and Billy Fenderson (Guildenstern).
The designers are Collette Pollard (scenic), David Hyman (costumes), Sarah Hughey (lighting), Mikhail Fiksel (sound) and Nick Heggestad (properties). The fight director is David Woolley and the stage manager is David Castellanos.