Shakespeare in Clark Park Presents "Hamlet" July 29 - August 2

A new adaptation of "Hamlet" is coming to "The Bowl" of Clark Park.

"Shakespeare in Clark Park is a party in the park," says Shamus, producing artistic director of Shakespeare in Clark Park and director and producer of "Hamlet." "Shakespeare in Clark Park has been producing free theater in West Philadelphia for the last 21 years."

This year's production is a first-time collaboration with Revolution Shakespeare.

Tai Verley is the producing artistic director of Revolution Shakespeare and co-adapter of "Hamlet." Verley says Revolution Shakespeare, otherwise known as RevShakes, looks to express "all the things that are awesome about Shakespeare's work" through adaptations of all kinds.

This 90-minute version tells the story of Hamlet, considered to be "the everyman."

"We knew we had to do something radical with the text," says Cassandra Alexander, actor and co-adapter of "Hamlet."

And to do that, Alexander says they took the role of Hamlet, "the everyman," and made that "very literal."

"What that character experiences through the course of the play encapsulates all of human emotion," she says.

And when Hamlet's emotions overwhelm him, he splits.

Alexander says the role of Hamlet is shared between four actors, "human beings of all walks of life," who express Hamlet's innermost thoughts.

"Yeah, everybody's Hamlet! That's the whole thing. It's exciting!" says Shamus.

Claudius kicks off the chaos, after Hamlet's father dies.

"Hamlet's now pseudo-father, but really uncle who has married his mother and usurped the throne, is the ruler of Denmark," says Alexander.

"Hamlet's not in a good place," says Verley.

The family drama is led by the usual cast of characters, including Gertrude, Hamlet's mother.

"The people that you see on stage are playing different characters and then the ensemble embodies some of those characters through gesture work," says Alexander.

"They play his like, sometimes friend, sometimes frenemy, Laertes," says Shamus. "We have Polonius, who's an advisor to the king, and also like pulling all of the strings behind closed doors. And he's also Ophelia and Laertes' father."

And in true Shakespearean fashion, it ends in tragedy.

"This production of 'Hamlet' really focuses on grief and the futility of revenge," he says.

"Often someone's first encounter of these plays is reading it in high school," says Alexander. "And we invite audiences to come and allow your expectations of 'Hamlet' to be changed."

This free production of "Hamlet" runs July 29 through August 2 in "The Bowl" of Clark Park.

Shakespeare in Clark Park - "Hamlet" | Shakespeare in Clark Park
Revolution Shakespeare | Revolution Shakespeare
"The Bowl" in Clark Park
1101 S. 45th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104