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About
the Play
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by Steven Breese The Trial of Hamlet was written in collaboration with William Shakespeare . . . well, at least in collaboration with his words. Shakespeare's words can be found interspersed throughout the text; sometimes fashioned subtly, sometimes obviously. Much of the play is written in iambic pentameter and is fashioned to emulate Shakespeare's verse. However, the first 10-12 minutes of the play (by necessity) is nearly all from Hamlet. I proffer this note in preparation for what might seem a bit irreverent - after all, as theatre artists we acknowledge Hamlet as an inherent "truth." The Trial of Hamlet tempts, teases and finally embraces that truth. I offer this play with the greatest love and respect for all of Shakespeare's work. So much so, in fact, it took me nearly two years of measured deliberation before I found the courage to write a single word. Three years later the fruits of my labors are offered here for your consideration. More... The Trial of Hamlet takes place, as does Shakespeare's classic, in and around the castle at Elsinore, Denmark. The play takes place in the eternal present tense - that is, the time is the present and twelfth century Denmark. Design elements, reflective of the play's language, are modern with anachronistic elements, for the play is written in blank verse as well as contemporary prose. If possible, a rear projection video screen or TV monitors should be employed to magnify The Analyst, "sound-bite sequences" and all courtroom scenes. If video is not practical, The Analyst should be placed apart from the action at the castle. All other set elements are simple/flexible. With a cast of characters only Shakespeare could create, this classical courtroom drama takes a pointed and sometimes irreverent look at our legal system, the media and our culture's fascination with the famous and infamous. Click here for a short teaser. Click here of complete synopsis. |
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