William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (Hamlet), will be performed outdoors in Wethersfield from August 6–9 and August 13–16.
A tiny lawn that borders the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center serves as the staging for the performance. Tall trees provide shade, and to provide pockets of light, tiny lanterns are strung on poles inside the audience. The stage is just a foot from the ground, and the audience members closest to it are directly up against it.
The performance is fully open to the street, which adds to the warm and comfortable environment. The production’s director, Wesley Broulik, who is from Wethersfield, says the goal is for people to stumble into the show.
The phrase “I had never been to the theater before, but I walked by your show and came and saw it, and now I’ve seen fifteen plays” is one that comes up frequently, according to Broulik.
Hamlet chronicles the tale of the title character, a prince who becomes embroiled in a power struggle inside the Danish court. The king, his father, passed away recently under mysterious circumstances. A ghost then appears to Hamlet, claiming to be his father, and exhorts him to exact revenge for his honor.
The production is produced by Time’s Fool Company, which Broulik created six years ago. The audience votes for the show they wish to watch the following year after each performance. According to Broulik, they are playing a Shakespearean piece for the sixth summer.
Broulik claims that the seasons have a big impact on his Hamlet production. He claims that it purposefully downplays the play’s political elements in favor of highlighting the concepts of death, fall, and the paranormal.
Given that we are in August and looking forward to September and October, as well as all the upcoming seasonal changes, the death themes truly speak to the seasonality of this time of year, according to Broulik.
He claims that his organization works to make theater engaging and pleasurable for all.
According to Broulik, we prioritize accessibility, which is why the majority of our performances are either free, pay-what-you-can, or extremely inexpensive. And that’s to encourage people to support it accidentally, on a whim, or without taking a significant risk.
In February of this year, the organization also started hosting oral storytelling events in the vein of The Moth.
According to the company’s website, oral storytelling has the power to unite communities and foster a sense of shared humanity. We learn more about the viewpoints and experiences of others, which helps us better comprehend our own.
August through August 9 and August 13–16 are the dates of the performances.
