The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is one of the most daunting dramas imaginable. Staging it in a way that embraces the powerful drama at its heart without delving into gross exaggeration probably ranks as one of the biggest challenges in all of theater. First Stage embraces this challenge in an upcoming production of the drama which is being brought to the stage by First Stage Young Company. Child actors bring the drama to life. It’s doubtlessly a character-building exercise. If you can get through a production of Hamlet as a child actor, you’ve likely faced one of the biggest challenges you will ever have to undergo in front of an audience.
The young actors aren’t alone in facing the challenge. There are a few remarkably talented professionals helping them along the way. Michael DiPadova plays Claudius. Rick Pendzich plays Polonius. Alicia Rice plays Gertrude. Matthew Huebsch plays the Ghost of Hamlet’s Father. They support an all-student cast in a show that should embrace more of a youthful energy than one is likely to experience in a more seasoned professional staging of the drama.
First Stage Young Company’s production of Hamlet runs May 15-17. For more information, visit firststage.org.
