The Cast of Hamet. From left, Zachariah Hall, Angelo Andrews, Harlie Davis Jr., Emily Miller, Christopher Smith, Sarah Mixon, Kayla Petrille, Zachary Randall, Anna Calsetta and Cade Lawrence.
Christopher Smith as Hamlet
Katie Campassi as Laeretes
From left, Emily Miller as Horatio and Christopher Smith as Hamlet
Kayla Petrille as the Lead Player in a traveling troupe of actors within the play
From left are Katie Campassi as Laeretes consoling Sarah Mixon as Ophelia
Back Alley Productions will present William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, performed free to the public on Friday, Aug. 5, and Saturday, Aug. 6, at 8 p.m. at the Mars Theater. The production is part of its third annual Shakespeare Summer Series and will be performed at several venues, including:
The Northwest Georgia Bank Amphitheater on Friday, Aug.12, and Saturday, Aug. 13, at 8 p.m.
Coolidge Park on Saturday, Aug. 20, at 8 p.m.
Camp Jordan on Friday, Aug. 26, and Saturday, Aug. 27, at 8 p.m.
The show runs approximately two hours and 30 minutes.
“We’ve been performing a traveling Shakespeare show for three years now,” said Kaylee Smith, director of the show and executive director of Back Alley. “It’s entirely different from our regular lineup. Hamlet is something I’ve study for a long time, but only now do we have the right opportunity and the right people to put our twist on the tragedy. We’ve embraced the traveling aspect of our show and will be performing in a gypsy/bohemian aesthetic with a ghost story twist, which has pushed our creative boundaries and really given the production its own unique personality.”
The play details the return of the troubled Prince Hamlet to the Kingdom of Denmark where he finds that his family and country have gone terribly awry. His father, the king, is dead. Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, has quickly remarried his uncle Claudius, who has enacted himself to new king with little resistance. But it’s when Hamlet is visited by his father's spirit, who claims to have been murdered by Claudius, that he steps into a dangerous plot of manipulation, political intrigue and "murder most foul" in order to enact his revenge.
“Hamlet is considered one of Shakespeare’s best plays,” Ms. Smith adds. “I’m very excited to have a talented, passionate and hard-working troupe of traveling actors ready to perform this masterful story to the local audience. It’s dark, it’s complex and it’s the kind of show you can really sit and sink your mind into.”
Though the show is free, Back Alley is accepting tax-deductible donations at www.backalleyproductions.org to give towards current and future productions. Ms. Smith recommends outdoor audience members to bring water, snacks and a blanket for grass. Outdoor shows will still be performed even if it rains, unless the weather is severe and dangerous.
“We’ve all come to love the excitement surrounding our annual Shakespeare Summer Series,” she notes. “We’ve had such positive turnout to last year’s The Tempest, and 2014’s Macbeth. Being able to bring Shakespeare into public places, such as amphitheaters and parks, comes with a lot of challenges. But it’s a very rewarding experience for actor and audience alike.”
Back Alley Productions is an award-winning theater company on its sixth season. For a full list of upcoming events, including auditions and performances, visit www.backalleyproductions.org.