Revenge, lost love, ambition and greed, betrayal, and the question of good versus evil. These issues churn at the core of Shakespeare’s best-known play, “Hamlet,” being performed April 12-14 at Ohio Wesleyan University.
“ ‘Hamlet’ is as timely today as it was when Shakespeare wrote it around 1601,” said theatre professor Elane Denny-Todd, director of the OWU performance. “It was written and produced near the mid-point of Shakespeare’s playwriting career.
“The recurring themes of justice versus injustice, truth versus lies, and the effects of corruption still speak loudly today in our present world of chaos, unease and mistruths,” Denny-Todd said. “Shakespeare does not offer easy solutions, but rather forces us to question ourselves, our actions, and our world at large.”
The Ohio Wesleyan Department of Theatre & Dance will present three performances of “Hamlet” at 8 p.m. April 12 and April 13, with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. April 14.
More than 50 Ohio Wesleyan students are participating in the production. The stellar cast features sophomores Joe Antal as Hamlet as Logan Kovach as Claudius; juniors Emma Antal as Gertrude, Adam Lieser as Laertes, and Rose Jonesco as Ophelia; and senior Jack Riter as Polonius.
Scenic design is by Ohio Wesleyan faculty member Chad Knutson, lighting design by professor D. Glen Vanderbilt, and costume design by guest designer Donna Williamson. Ohio Wesleyan senior Daniel Brothers is serving as stage manager.
“Hamlet” will be performed on the Main Stage of OWU’s Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Tickets are $10 for general admission; $5 for senior citizens and non-Ohio Wesleyan students; and free for Ohio Wesleyan students and employees with a valid OWU ID. To reserve tickets, call the box office at (740) 368-3855. Reservations are requested as seating is limited.
For more information about the performance or about studying theatre or dance at Ohio Wesleyan, visit www.owu.edu/TheatreAndDance.
