In the early 1600s William Shakespeare wrote HAMLET, a play about a young prince mourning not only the death of his father, but the callous behavior of his mother – she marries Hamlet’s uncle, the brother of the late King, not even a month from his passing. The situation is quite hard on Hamlet, but it only gets worse as the ghost of the King appears to him demanding revenge. 

This enthralling story has existed since the 12th century. The Bard heard it at some point and eventually penned what is now perhaps his best known and most often performed tragedy.

And now you have your chance to see it. HAMLET is performing at the Antaeus Theatre, in Glendale, and will continue through June 20, 2022. 

At Antaeus, the stage is dark and stormy preparing you for a tale full of ghosts, madness, and death. Ramon de Ocampo delivers an excellent Hamlet with well articulated lines that make Shakespeare’s story flow clearly and easy to understand. 

With him are a group of talented actors. First in line – Peter Van Norden, who plays the best Polonius I remember seeing on stage. He is true comic relief for the play, which I’d bet is exactly what The Bard wanted his character to accomplish. 

Also worth mentioning is Jeanne Syquia as Ophelia; her madness definitely heartbreaking. Aside from that, her gorgeous dress made me look up the name of the Costume Designer – Dianne K. Graebner.

Performed as originally written, HAMLET would take over four hours. After some cuts by Director Elizabeth Swain, the performance at Antaeus takes 2 hours and 40 minutes. It’s captivating, though, and time goes by fast. 

The one tip I’ll give you is to take your own Snickers bar or something else to munch on during the intermission as the theater is not yet selling concessions. It can be a hungry 15-minutes otherwise.

Tickets range $20 to $40, available HERE. The play performs Friday to Sunday through June 20, 2022.

Antaeus Theatre is located at 110 East Broadway in Glendale, CA, 91205. Parking is available in the Glendale Marketplace garage at 120 Artsakh Ave. (between Broadway and Harvard). The first 90 minutes are free, then $2 per hour.

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