“…a cleverly conceived, well-directed piece, with a stellar cast…is definitely worth a re-staging.”
-TheaterMirror.com
Our American Hamlet
Written by Jake Broder
Directed by Steven Maler
March 23-April 2, 2017
Carling-Sorenson Theater, Babson College, Wellesley
The time was 1866, less than a year after President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. His brother Edwin Booth, one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of the 19th century, decided to perform Hamlet on Broadway, a role he had performed in the past to great acclaim. A huge crowd turned up for the performance — but it wasn’t clear whether they were there to see the actor perform or to exact their revenge.
“Broder’s play is more than an intriguing drama about a fascinating episode in theater history. Edwin Booth’s internal conflicts, his battle with the curse of popular prejudice, have universal resonances. He is a 19th century century celebrity, yes, but there are powerful intimations of modernity in the writhings of Edwin Booth’s psyche.” -artsfuse.org