With Hamlet being one of Shakespeare’s mostpopular plays, there’s little doubt that this Goats & Monkeys productioncould be every bit as successful. The cast for Hamlet is largely Equity, including Brian J. Gill in the titlerole, Jonathan Smoots as Claudius, Laura Gordon as Gertrude, Norman Moses asPolonius and Laura Gray as Ophelia.
G&M’s Hamlet runs through Oct. 24. Thoseinterested in reserving free tickets should e-mailreservations@goatsandmonkeys.org.
Also this week, the Milwaukee Rep opens its production of Happy Now? fromBritish playwright Lucinda Coxon. The comedy, which opened in asmall studio space on the other side of the Atlanticjust last year, focuses a sharp satirical perspective on the challenges ofsurviving the modern, middle-class life. The play centers around a youngprofessional woman named Kitty, whose life is immersed in various stresses likeworking, dealing with unwanted sexual advances, raising children and livingwith a husband who has left a high-paying job to pursue his passion forteaching. The only person in Kitty’s life who seems to have things together isher friend Carl, who’s in a well-adjusted romantic relationship with anotherman. Seattle-based guest actress Julie Briskman, making her Milwaukee Repdebut, joins a cast of Rep resident actors. The comedy is guest directed by JonJory, who is also working with the Rep for the first time.
The Rep’s production of Happy Now? runs through Nov. 15 at theQuadracci Powerhouse Theater.