November 13—December 20, 2015
Two Hamlets wander a bizarre, absurd and devastated political landscape from the fall of Communism to the ascendancy of ISIS. Their journey starts as they board the locomotive of the Revolution with mad Uncle Karl at the wheel. Round and round and round they go, at each stop, the bloody disasters of the 20th century, like the stations of the cross for a long-suffering humanity. Thrown from the exploding train, they wander on to meet the ghost of their vengeful father, their Alzheimer’s afflicted mother Gertrude, and finally the fair Ophelia, who has become an Islamic Terrorist.
But that’s only the start of their 21st century adventure through the looking glass. They are hounded by religious fundamentalists, plunged into a digital nightmare of new media, diverted by Ophelia as a stripper, experiment with gender roles, conscripted into a Dolce and Gabbana fashion show, then finally launched headlong into the conflicts and tragedies of the Arab Spring, from which they emerge more dazed, confused, and maddened than ever. “Oh, what a noble mind is here o’erthrown,” intones a grief-stricken Horatio. This way madness lies, indeed. But as they stand in the final snowstorm, facing a bottomless sea, they confront the question with which they began: to be or not to be. What answer do they finally offer?
This is the world premiere of a new version of the seminal work by Heiner Müller that defined post-modern Shakespeare. This jagged, non-linear text breaks open the Hamlet iconography to re-examine the blood-soaked heritage of the 20th century in light of the new reality of Mideast turmoil, global terrorism, and the rise of ISIS.
Fourth Sunday Q&A:
After the Sunday, December 6 matinee, please join us for an informal discussion with the cast and creators of City Garage’s new Hamletmachine.
The Winter of Our Discontent: Shakespeare in the Digital Age
—Fall 2015 to Spring 2016—
November 13, 2015—December 20, 2015
February 5, 2016—March 13, 2016 (6 week, regular run)
April 8, 2016—May 15, 2016
Come and be a part of the exciting adventure at City Garage. Buy a pass now and get all three shows in this series for $60 (Students/Seniors $50). That’s a 20% savings over regular admission prices! Call our Box Office at 310-453-9939 to purchase today (online ticketing and pass purchase coming soon).
This project is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the Santa Monica Arts Commission.
