The Truman State University Theatre Department invites you to their upcoming production of William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, Hamlet, which will run Feb. 17-20, 2016, at 8 p.m. in the James G. Severns Theatre in Ophelia Parrish Hall.
The production updates the action to a kind of timeless now, while also drawing inspiration from the lines, shapes, and imagery of the Art Nouveau movement of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. You will also see a woman playing Hamlet, and other gender-bent and color-blind casting choices. The production will also feature live music composed by music grad student, Enrique Eskeda; light design by senior Maddie Chambers; projections design by art student Priscilla Parisa; and sound design by sophomore Gabe Stringer. Furthermore you’ll enjoy some stunning costumes and scenery designed by Assistant Professor Dominique Glaros and Professor Ron Rybkowski. The production is directed by Theatre Department Chair, Dr. Dana Smith.
The play has been called a philosophical, metaphysical inquiry and a revenge tragedy, but we see in the play a human story that transcends these labels. The story is the one you are likely familiar with; a young prince suffers a devastating loss: the untimely death of his father, the king of Denmark, followed rapidly by the re-marriage of Hamlet’s mother to the dead king’s brother, Claudius. A ghostly visitation confirms that the dead king was murdered by this brother. Hamlet vows revenge and formulates a plan that is stymied by happenstance and his own depression. Our production heightens the role of Ophelia in Hamlet’s story by giving her a function within the Danish court and making her privy to the Ghost’s visitation. The script has been trimmed and edited to underscore the parallels between Ophelia’s storyline and Hamlet’s journey.
TICKETS
Tickets will go on sale beginning Monday, Feb. 8. Tickets are $5 (cash or checks only) and may be obtained at the Box Office in Ophelia Parrish Hall Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Guests from out of town may reserve tickets by calling the Box Office at 660-785-4515. The Theatre Department is also offering a group discount rate of $4 per head for any non-university school group composed of at least 10 students.
For More Information, Contact:
Professor Dana Smith
dasmith@truman.edu
660-785-6031