Northwestern College’s theatre department will present William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” April 12, 13, and 18–20 in the DeWitt Theatre Arts Center’s Allen Black Box Theatre. The show will begin at 7:30 each of those evenings; there will also be a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, April 13.
Dr. Robert Hubbard, professor of theatre and the director of the play, describes “Hamlet” as arguably the greatest play ever written in the English language. “It’s just full of famous quotes,” he says, “most of them deeply penetrating in their wisdom.”
The timeless revenge tragedy centers on Hamlet, a Danish prince who sets out to avenge his father’s death. The plot includes ghosts, betrayal, murder, political intrigue and young love.
According to Hubbard, the universality of Shakespeare is the reason there are more productions of his works in the United States every year than that of any other single playwright. Northwestern includes Shakespeare in its theatre season every three to four years because it is good training for student actors. This is the first time “Hamlet” is being performed at Northwestern, and the college’s production will make use of shadow puppets for the “play within a play” that Hamlet uses to determine if his uncle murdered Hamlet’s father.
Heading the cast are Northwestern students Jack MacGregor as Hamlet, Liam Nibbelink as Claudius, Emily Espinoza as Gertrude, Ellie Zerr as Ophelia, and Gideon Fynaardt as Laertes. The infamous Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are played by Denny DenHerder and Mackenna Thurman.
Tickets for “Hamlet” are $10 for adults and $5 for students and go on sale April 1. They can be reserved at nwciowa.edu/tickets, by calling the box office at 712-707-7098, or by emailing boxoffice@nwciowa.edu.
