The University of Maine at Presque Isle is proud to present Shakespeare & Company for a one-night-only performance of the Bard’s iconic tragedy “Hamlet” on Friday, March 13 at 7 p.m. in the Gauvin Family Center for Cultural Arts, located in Wieden Hall. Troupe members will provide a short talk-back for the audience after the show. All campus and community members are invited to attend this special, free admission event.
A story full of mystery, revenge, and tough choices about truth and loyalty, “Hamlet” follows its titular character as he learns that his uncle killed his father the King and now wears the crown. Kevin G. Coleman, who directs “Hamlet”and serves as Shakespeare & Company’s Director of Education, said bringing this play on the road takes it back to its roots – “performed up close, with energy, humor, and heart.”
“It’s a story that asks enormous questions about truth, justice, and what it means to act—and sharing those ideas with students and audiences across the region reminds us how alive and relevant Shakespeare remains,” he said. “And that’s our goal; to make Shakespeare immediate and accessible and to show students that these stories aren’t dusty relics, but living, breathing conversations about being human.”
The Northeast Regional Tour is one of the many education programs offered as part of the Company’s theater-in-education program, which has been identified by the MacArthur Foundation, the GE Foundation, and The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities as a “Champion of Change.”
Founded in 1978, Shakespeare & Company is one of the country’s largest and best-known Shakespeare Festivals, operating year-round and welcoming more than 60,000 patrons annually to its performance space in Lenox, Massachusetts. The Company is also home to an award-winning and nationally recognized theatre-in-education program; as the largest one in the Northeast, it reaches more than 40,000 students annually with innovative performances, workshops, and residencies.
For more information about Shakespeare & Company, visit the website at www.shakespeare.org. For more information about the play at UMPI, please call 207-768-9525 or e-mail emma.mcnally@maine.edu.