The Gift Theatre Announces Casting for HAMLET

The Gift Theatre is pleased to announce casting for William Shakespeare's HAMLET, directed by guest artist Monty Cole. The Gift's production of the Bard's great tragedy will crack open the mind of one of western drama's most fascinating and complex characters.

HAMLET will feature Daniel Kyri as Hamlet with Gift ensemble members John Kelly Connolly* as Claudius, Gregory Fenner* as Laertes, Martel Manning* as Guildenstern and Hannah Toriumi* as Rosencrantz, and guest artists Robert Cornelius as Ghost/Polonius, Shanésia Davis as Gertrude, Casey Morris as Horatio, Jake Szczepaniak as Fortinbras/Marcellus/Gravedigger and Netta Walker as Ophelia.

HAMLET will play June 1 - July 29, 2018 at 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood. Single tickets and season subscriptions are currently available by calling the Gift's box office at 773-283-7071 or visiting thegifttheatre.org.

After the death of his dad, a young black man named Hamlet returns home to grieve and seek revenge. Fighting against the injustice of his father's murder and the powers that want him out of the picture, Hamlet quickly loses power and sanity.

Director Monty Cole comments, "Over the last year, this script has only become more personal to me and my production team. What makes this Hamlet unique isn't necessarily "a new spin" from me but rather a process of personalization from incredibly respected Chicago artists working to make this 400 year old story feel prescient."

Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton adds, "Experiencing Shakespeare at The Gift is electrifying. In our intimate space, we can deliver performances that mirror Hamlet's advice to the players: stripped-down, clear, lyrical, and conversational. To be mere feet away from Hamlet's heartache and blazing mind would be gift enough; with the colossal talents of these artists, our HAMLET will be one for the ages."

The production team for HAMLET includes: William Boles (scenic design), Samantha Jones (costume design) Claire Chrzan and Michelle Benda (lighting design) Jeffery Levin (sound design) and Michael Petersen, Ph.D. (dramaturg).