keynotes hamlet
TRANSCRIPT
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Can You Follow the Plot? page 2
Exploring the Characters page 3
Themes in the Play page 4
Interpreting the Play page 5
Adapting the Play page 6
Production Elements page 7
Shakespeare and Hamlet page 8
Audience/Resources page 9
Shakespeare’s
HamletAdapted by Robert Richmond
Performed by Aquila Theatre Company
Welcome to Keynotes , a performance
guide created by the Education
Department of the State Theatre in
New Brunswick, NJ. These Keynotes
are designed to be used before and
after attending the Aquila Theatre
Company’s performance of Hamlet .
CONTENTS
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Late at night, the ghost of the
recently deceased King of
Denmark appears before the
guards standing watch on the
castle walls. Horatio decides to
inform Prince Hamlet, the dead
king’s son.
Laertes, son of the King’s
minister Polonius, warns his
sister Ophelia not to get
carried away by her love for
Hamlet. Polonius comes in with
some parting advice for
Laertes, who is leaving for
France. He tells Ophelia to
break off her relationship with
Hamlet.
Hamlet waits on the castle
walls until the ghost of his
father appears. The spirit tells
Hamlet that he was murdered
by his brother, Claudius. He
urges Hamlet to avenge his
death. To buy time to plan his
course of action, Hamlet will
pretend that he has gone mad.
Ophelia reports to her father
that Hamlet is acting strangely.
Polonius tells the King and
Queen that Hamlet has gone
mad because Ophelia has
rejected him.
Hamlet, alone, contemplates
ending his life.
Polonius comes in, and Hamlet
pretends to be insane. When
Polonius leaves, Hamlet meets
up with his friends Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern. He accuses
them of being sent by the King
and Queen to spy on him.
When a group of traveling
actors arrives at court, Hamlet
decides to have them play out
the story of a king who was
killed by his brother and
observe his uncle’s reaction.
Claudius decides that Hamlet
is only pretending to be mad
and that he is too much of athreat to his crown. He is
determined to send him to
England and to have him
murdered there.
During the performance of
Hamlet’s play Claudius
becomes agitated and abruptly
ends the show. Hamlet is now
certain of his uncle’s guilt. He
hesitates to kill Claudius when
he finds the King kneeling at
prayer because he does not
want Claudius’ soul to go to
heaven.
Hamlet meets his mother in
her room and begs her to endher marriage. Hearing someone
behind a curtain and thinking it
to be Claudius, Hamlet stabs
Polonius to death.
Gertrude, believing her son is
truly mad, tells Claudius about
Polonius’ murder. Claudius
banishes Hamlet to England,sending along Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern with secret orders
for Hamlet to be killed.
Ophelia descends into
madness, pushed over the
edge by Hamlet’s rejection and
her father’s murder. Laertes,
just returned from France at
news of his father’s murder,receives another blow when he
discovers his sister has gone
mad.
Horatio reports to Ger trude
that Hamlet discovered the
assassination plan and had
Rozencrantz and Guildenstern
killed in his place. He is now
on his way back to Denmark.
Claudius, surprised to hear that
Hamlet lives, urges Laertes to
revenge the murder of his
father by killing Hamlet.
Gertrude comes in with the
news that Ophelia has drowned
herself.
“And in this harsh world, draw thy breath in pain and tell my story.”
—Hamlet
In a graveyard, Hamlet and
Horatio talk with a gravedigger.
The funeral procession enters
with Ophelia’s body. Laertes
angrily attacks Hamlet.
Hamlet has agreed to a fencing
match with Laertes. He does
not know that Claudius and
Laertes have secretly poisoned
the tip of Laertes’ sword.
During the fight, the swords are
switched and both Hamlet and
Laertes are mortally wounded.
When Hamlet begins to gain an
upper hand in the duel,
Claudius offers him some
poisoned wine, but Gertrude
drinks it instead and dies.
Laertes reveals to Hamlet that
they are both poisoned and
that Claudius is to blame.
Hamlet stabs Claudius with the
poisoned sword and forces him
to drink the poison. The King
falls, dead. As Horatio looks on
in sorrow, Hamlet dies.
Hamlet has returned to
Denmark from his studies
abroad to attend both thefuneral of his father and the
wedding of his mother, Queen
Gertrude, to his uncle,
Claudius, now King of
Denmark. Hamlet is disgusted
by his mother’s hasty
remarriage to his uncle.
Ophelia gives back her love
letters to Hamlet whilePolonius and the King—in
hiding—observe Hamlet’s
reaction. His bizarre behavior
greatly upsets Ophelia.
Act One
Act Two
Act Three
Act Four
Act Five
Can You Follow the Plot? 2
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Exploring the Characters 3
HAMLET Prince of Denmark. Com-
manded by the ghost of his
father to take revenge on his
uncle, will he be able to
bring himself to kill the new
King?
CLAUDIUS The current King of
Denmark, Hamlet’s uncle
and now married to Hamlet’smother, Gertrude. How
secure is his hold on the
throne now that Hamlet
knows he committed murder
to get it?
GERTRUDE Queen of Denmark, mother
of Hamlet. What does she
know, or what might she
suspect about her first
husband’s death?
GHOST The spirit of Hamlet’s dead
father, the former King of
Denmark. Is it right for aparent—even a murdered
one—to ask a child to
commit murder himself?
POLONIUS Chief advisor to King
Claudius, father of Laertes
and Ophelia. Is he a wise
counselor or a babbling fool?
OPHELIA Polonius’ daughter and
Laertes’ sister. Is she
mentally weak all along, or
does tragedy drive her mad?
LAERTES Polonius’ son, brother of
Ophelia. Like Hamlet, he
seeks to avenge the murder
of a father, but is it right to
do it by cheating?
BERNARDO Sentries (guards) of the
MARCELLUS castle. What might have
happened if they had kept
silent about seeing the
ghost?
HORATIO Hamlet’s friend. Is he the
only person Hamlet can
trust?
ROSENCRANTZCourtiers to King Claudius
GUILDENSTERNwho grew up with Hamlet.
Whose side are they on?
PLAYER KING Actors in a travelingPLAYER QUEEN theater company.
GRAVEDIGGER Described by Shakespeare
as a “clown,” meaning a
comic character.
OSRIC Servant to the King.
Like real people, many of the characters in Shakespeare’s plays have complex personalities and great psychological
depth—so much so that critics and scholars have applied the tools of psychoanalysis to try to understand them better.
Of all Shakespeare’s characters, Hamlet is generally thought to be the most difficult to analyze and
understand. For example, although he has reason to seek revenge against his Uncle Claudius, he is
undecided and inactive; and while he is described as a passionate lover, he seems indifferent about
his affections toward Ophelia. There are other complicated or ambiguous characters in Hamlet, alof whom have their own unique perspectives and motivations for their actions.
Character
Journal
Put yourself in the shoes of a
character from Hamlet .
Explore the text for clues to
what this character is like an
what he or she is concerned
about. Look at their dialogue
and soliloquies (speeches to
themselves or the audience),
their actions, and also what
the other characters say abo
them.
As your character, write a
journal entry depicting a day
your life as well assummarizing some of the
events in the play from that
character’s unique
perspective. While writing in
your journal, think about:
• Who are you? What do yo
look like? How do you act?
• How do you feel about the
other characters? Which
characters do you interact
with the most? Who is you
strongest ally? Who is you
enemy?
• Were you involved directly
with the action in a
particular scene? If not,
how did you hear about the
events that transpired?
What was your reaction?
Make a Character Shield
Create a shield for one of the characters in Hamlet . Draw the
outline of a shield (or photocopy one) and divide it into quarters.
In each quarter, put an image representing one of the following:
1. The character’s goals 3. The character’s personality
2. The character’s worst fear 4. Three words representing the character
Use your character journal for ideas and inspiration for your shield. Each quarter may
also contain a quote from the play. Share your shield with a partner. Did you choose
the same character? If so, how do your shields differ? If you did not choose the same
character, are your goals similar or different? Does your relationship to one another
affect your fears? Shields can then be hung around the room according to character
or in any way your class chooses.
Who’s Who in the Play
S o m e t h i n g
i s r o t t
e n
i n t h e
s t a t e o
f
D e n m a r k .
AMBIGUOUS -
Open to more
than one
interpretation
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The theme of madness appears
throughout Hamlet. The
characters in the play have
differing opinions about
Hamlet’s state of mind: Polonius
thinks he has gone mad because
Ophelia has rejected him, while
Gertrude thinks it is because of the
death of his father and her remarriage.
Claudius suspects that he is not really mad at all.
The play provides evidence on both sides: that Hamlet is
actually mad as well as that he is only pretending.
What do you think? Is Hamlet mad because the pain of
losing his father is too much for him? Is madness a strategy
he uses to protect himself? Is madness an escape that allows him to avoid taking responsibility for his actions? Why do
you think Shakespeare did not make it clear whether
Hamlet is really mad or not?
“MADNESS IN GREAT ONES MUST NOT
UNWATCHED GO.” —CLAUDIUS (III,i)
Hamlet is a “revengetragedy,” a popular style o
theater in Shakespeare’s
day. The most obvious revenge involves
Hamlet and his responsibility to avenge the
murder of his father. Revenge is associated wi
other characters as well. Laertes seeks
retribution after Hamlet kills his father, Poloniu
He also blames Hamlet for Ophelia’s suicide. Th
theme of revenge drives the entire plot of Hamle
the Ghost’s plea for vengeance sets in motion
everything that happens later in the play.
Do you think that the characters were right to seek
revenge? Does seeking revenge take more or less courage
than turning the other cheek? Do you think justice was don
by the end of the play?
“REVENGE HIS FOUL AND MOST UNNATURA
MURDER.” —GHOST (I,v
Though it may seemovershadowed by some other
ideas, love is a major theme in
Hamlet. We see examples of
different kinds of love—romantic,
maternal, paternal, love for country,
etc.—as well as the consequences of love. Hamlet’s love
for his father is what drives him to avenge his death.
Ophelia’s love for Hamlet and for her father cause her to
commit suicide in the wake of Hamlet’s departure and
her father’s death. Gertrude’s unconditional love for her
son drives her to sacrifice her life for him by drinking the
poisoned wine at the end of the play.
What examples of love do you recognize in Hamlet? How
does love connect to the other themes in the play? Would you
call Hamlet a love story?
“THIS IS THE VERY ECSTASY OF LOVE…”
—POLONIUS (II,i)
Claudius’ rise to power i
achieved through a series
corrupt actions, including
murdering his brother an
marrying his widow. This
one action leads to the
downfall of not only himself
but all those around him.
Many of the characters in
Hamlet become corrupted in
some way and, by the end of the play, all of the corrupt
characters must be eliminated so that Denmark can onc
again be set right. One corrupt person, especially one in
power, taints everyone he touches.
What drove Claudius to go so far in his pursuit of power? Do you believe that, having gained the throne the
way he did, he could ever make a good king? Can you thin
of any modern-day parallels to King Claudius?
“A BLOODY DEED. ALMOST AS BAD, GOOD
MOTHER, AS KILL A KING AND MARRY WITH
HIS BROTHER.” —HAMLET (III,iv
R E VENGE
CCOOR R R R UUPPTTIIOONN
&& PPOO W W EER R
Themes in the Play 4
M M A A D D N N E E S S S S
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Exploring
Aquila’s Hamlet
• Why do you think Aquila
would be interested in
staging this 400-year-old
play in the first place?
• As you watch the
performance, think about
the “assignment” the
company created (at left)
and see if you can detect
how they used theseguidelines in their
production.
• Did Aquila’s interpretation o
what the play is about and
who the characters are
agree with your own ideas
about Hamlet ? Did their
production make you think
about the play in a different
way?
Interpreting the Play 5
In taking a play off the page and
bringing it to the stage, it is the director
who is responsible for creating an
artistic vision for the production. He or
she must first decide what the play isabout and then figure out how to use all
the elements of live theater to
communicate this meaning to the
audience. The artistic choices a director
makes in staging a play affect the way
the audience understands its meaning
and message. Taken together, all of
these artistic choices are called an
interpretation. Even the simplest production of a play is an interpretation.
Robert Richmond, who directed Hamlet for Aquila Theatre Company, says
that he and his company based their interpretation of the play on what they
thought were Shakespeare’s original thoughts and intentions.
It seemed to us that beneath the reverence, the years of
scholarship and analysis of Hamlet , there was a commercial crowd-
pleaser trying to survive. As Shakespeare put quill to parchment, over
400 years ago, he was trying to write a new play. A play that when
performed had to survive in the biggest of commercial theaters of
its time, the Globe. If the play was not favorably received it would
most likely never be performed again. We took the same approachwhen creating our production of the play.
In their discussions, the Aquila company thought about the practical
requirements and limitations that Shakespeare might have faced. They came
up with a hypothetical “assignment” that he might have had in mind when
writing the play:
Write a popular drama that has mass appeal. You must include the
following:
• A company of 16 actors (all men)
• An open stage• The performance must be between 2 pm-5 pm (3 hours maximum)
• A modern-dress production
• Minimal props and portable scenery (perhaps a trap door)
• No intermission
• No artificial lighting — only the unpredictable English weather
• A leading part for Richard Burbage
• Stop the spectators from constantly talking or leaving.
• All scenes must be attention-grabbing or they will be ignored
H a v e y o u a t
t e n d e d a l i v
e
p e r f o r m a n c e
o f Hamle t
b e f o r e ? W h a
t a r e t h e k e
y
e l e m e n t s t h
a t y o u r e m e
m b e r ?
W h a t a r e y o
u e x p e c t i n g
t o
s e e i n A q u i l
a ’ s p r o d u c t
i o n ?
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In bringing a play to life onstage, the director and the creative team may
decide to adapt the material—make changes in the text, setting, or other
aspects—to make it work within a particular set of conditions. Aquila’s
Robert Richmond comments on some of the choices the company made in
bringing their vision of Hamlet to the stage.
• CHANGES IN THE TEXT - Some portions of the play have been cut, a
usual practice in staging Shakespeare today. Some other sections of
the text have been moved or assigned to another character.
We strongly believe that you should never cut something merely
because you don’t understand it. But with no cuts, Hamlet
would take almost 4 hours to perform. We tried to trim the
script down to a time frame that is practical for a modern
audience, without losing any essential parts of the story. Our
version runs about 2fi hours, including intermission.
• CASTING - There are eight actors in this production, though there are
more parts than that in the play. In adapting the play for the available
cast, some small roles have been cut, while in other cases an actor will
“double”—take on more than one role. (For example, the actor playing
Polonius later plays Osric, while another actor portrays both the Ghost
and the Gravedigger.)
Doubling the smaller roles gives more to do for the actors who are
not playing a lead part. It also challenges those performers to
come up with a distinctive way of moving and speaking for eachof their characters so the audience does not get confused.
Adapting Hamlet
• Did you notice any of the missing
text while watching Aquila’s
Hamlet ? What parts would you cut
if you were the director?
• Did you notice the actors who
played more than one role? How did
they use their voice and body to
create the different characters?
• If you were going to create your
own adaptation of Hamlet , would
you choose to put in on stage or onfilm? How would you change the
way the story is presented? Why?
Are there ideas you’ve seen in othe
versions of Hamlet that you’d use in
your own adaptation?
• Watch three different film versions
of the Hamlet and Gertrude scene
(Act III, scene iv). With your
classmates, discuss the differences
among the three film adaptations
and Aquila Theatre’s staging:
What time period do the set and
costumes indicate? Is there any
music and, if so, what effect does i
have on the performance? What
different choices did you see the
directors and actors making? Which
version did you think was most
effective? Why?
Robert
Richmo
Shakespeare on the Screen
Shakespeare’s work has been extremely
popular on the big screen. (Laurence Olivier,
left, won an Academy Award for his 1948
Hamlet .) Like the director of a stage play,
film directors and screenwriters make
critical choices about how they want to
express their vision of the play. With the
ability to shoot at different locations and to
create special visual effects, however,
filmmakers have many more options at their
disposal. Some Shakespeare films remain
faithful to the original plays or are simply a
live stage performance captured on film.
Other directors choose to set the story in a different place and/or time. Some
decide to keep the basic story while rewriting the script in modern language to
allow new audiences to be drawn in by Shakespeare’s characters and themes.
The resource list (page 9) lists just a few of the many film versions of Hamlet .
Adapting the Play 6
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Aquila Theatre Company uses the visual elements
of live theater to create the atmosphere for the
various settings in Hamlet. The scenery, costumes,
and lighting work together to help the audience enter
the world of the play. These aspects of the production
were designed specifically to help communicate the
company’s ideas about the play, keeping in mind the
practical concerns of a touring show.
THE SETSSince Aquila’s productions tour around the U.S.
and play in theaters of different sizes, the sets must
be compact and light enough to pack up and travel
across the country by truck or plane. The backdrop
is a large scrim—a piece of translucent fabric that,when lit from behind, reveals the actors behind it. This technique is incorporated during scenes with the Ghost as wel
as scenes during which people are spying on others. The set pieces for Hamlet are fairly simple: a square groundcloth,
wooden chairs, and wooden folding screens. A large wooden box with a plank top used is used as a bed, Ophelia’s bier,
the grave in the gravedigger scene, etc.
D During the show, watch how the same objects are used in different ways.
THE COSTUMES AND PROPSCostumes and props help establish the play’s time period and location, and also indicate the age and social position
the characters. In Aquila’s production of Hamlet, the design team created costumes and props that, for the most part,look like the clothes and items people wear and carry today. (For example, the guards carry guns instead of swords.) A
few aspects of the production more closely resemble Shakespeare’s era: the duel between Laertes and Hamlet is done
with swords.
D During the show, notice the use of both contemporary and period props and costumes. How do the
costumes help define the age and social status of the different characters? Would it have been a
easy for you to notice these distinctions if the actors had been dressed in 17th-century costumes?
THE LIGHTING
The lighting design helps convey mood, atmosphere, and time, and helps the audience focus on a particular image.The speed and movement of the lighting are carefully coordinated with the actors and music. Color is a key element in
the lighting design. Thin sheets of colored plastic, called gels, are used in front of a lighting fixture to change the color
of the light. To achieve depth and dimension, gobos (sheets of metal with designs cut into them) are placed in front of
lighting fixtures to create patterns on the stage floor or in the air. Where the lighting is placed is also important. Side
light “sculpts” the actors and gives them dimension. Direct front light flattens out the actors’ appearance, while back
light makes a performer stand out from the background. A “special”—direct light on an actor—draws focus onto a
performer and helps them connect with the audience.
D During the show, look for interesting patterns created by light shining through the folding screens.
Production Elements 7
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Shakespeare and Hamlet 8
Shakespeare’s Life
It seems strange how little is known for certain about the life of
William Shakespeare, the most frequently read and performed
playwright in the English language. There are even those who
believe that he did not write the plays that bear his name!
Here are a few facts that are generally accepted about him:
• Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-
upon-Avon in England. His father, John Shakespeare, was
a glover and merchant and his mother, Mary Arden, was
the daughter of a local landowner.
• William was educated at Stratford Grammar School until
1577 when he was forced to leave school because of his
father’s financial difficulties.
• On November 27, 1582, he married Anne Hathaway who
was eight years his senior. In the next three years they
had three children: Suzanna and twins Hamnet and
Judith. Hamnet died in 1596, at the age of 11.
• Shakespeare left Stratford for London in 1587 to
become an actor. There he began writing for and acting
with London’s leading theater troupe, the Lord Chamberlain´s Company. In
1599 they opened a theater, named ‘The Globe,’ where many of his greatest
plays were performed.
• In 1610, Shakespeare moved back to Stratford to live out the rest of his life
in the country. He died on his 52nd birthday on April 23, 1616.
• He began his literary career in 1591 with his first play, Henry VI . From that
date until about 1613 he produced in total 36 plays, 2 long poems and 154
sonnets.
The Origins of Hamlet
First performed in 1603, Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s best-known plays. Like most of his works, it is based on a
story and characters that already existed. Though its exact origins are unknown, the story can be found in the folkliterature of Iceland, Ireland, and Denmark. The timeline below tracks the story through the centuries leading up to
Shakespeare’s play.
• 11th century - earliest known reference to the legend of Hamlet, in an Icelandic poem
• 12th century - earliest written version of the story, Historiae Danicae by Danish poet and historian Saxo Grammaticus.
Here, the character appears under the name Amleth, but many of the key elements of Shakespeare’s play are there.
• 1570 - François de Belleforest’s translation of Saxo’s story published in his collection, Histoires Tragiques . It is believed
that this version was the main source of Shakespeare’s Hamlet .
• 1590s - Hamlet , an anonymous play (thought to have been written by Thomas Kyd), is popular in England. No copy of
this Hamlet exists today.
• 1603 - First performance of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Drawn from Life?
Shakespeare lost his son
Hamnet just a few years before
writing the play Hamlet . How do
you think this might have
influenced his depiction of the
relationships between fathers
and sons in the play?
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Do You Know Your Part?
As a member of the audience, you are a crucial part of the
performance. Before you arrive at the theater, make sure you
know your role!
• When you enter the theater, follow an usher to your seat.
• Once the house lights (the lights in the part of the theater
where the audience is sitting) go down, focus all your
attention on the stage.
• Attending a live theater performance is not the same as
watching television at home. At the theater, talking, eating,
or moving around disturbs the performers and other
members of the audience. So watch and listen carefully to
the performance. And please no food or beverages!
• Don’t bring cameras, camcorders, tape recorders, or any
other recording equipment to the performance. You will
not be allowed to use them.
• If something in the play is funny, go ahead and laugh. And
of course, please applaud at the end of the performance if
you liked what you saw!
• After the performers are finished taking their bows, stay in
your seat until your group gets the signal to leave thetheater.
Audience/Resources 9
The State Theatre’s education program is funded in part by Bristol-Myers Squibb, Brother International
Corporation, James and Diane Burke, the E & G Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, the J. Seward Johnson
Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Karma Foundation, the John F. Kennedy Center for
the Performing Arts, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, the McCrane Foundation, the National
Starch and Chemical Foundation, the PNC Foundation, and the Wachovia Foundation. Their support is
gratefully acknowledged.
Keynotes are produced by the Education Department of the State Theatre,
New Brunswick, NJ.
Wesley Brustad, President
Lian Farrer, Vice President for Education
Keynotes written and designed by Lisa Beth Vettoso
Edited by Lian Farrer© 2005 State Theatre
Hamlet production photos ©2005 Richard Termine for Aquila Theatre Company
Resources
BOOKS:
The Friendly Shakespeare : A Thoroughly Painless G
to the Best of the Bard , by Norrie Epstein. Penguin
1994.Hamlet (Cambridge School Shakespeare), by William
Shakespeare, edited by Richard Andrews. Cambridg
University Press, 2005
Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became
Shakespeare, by Stephen Greenblatt. W. W. Norton
2005
The World of Shakespeare , by Anna Claybourne &
Rebecca Treays. Usborne, 2001
WEBSITES:
Absolute Shakespeare
www.absoluteshakespeare.com
The Shakespeare Resource Center
www.bardweb.net
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
www.the-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/
Teacher Cyberguide: The Tragedy of Hamlet
www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/ham/hamtg.html
Shakespeare Examined Through Performance
www.tamut.edu/english/folgerhp/folgerhp.htm
Introduction to Hamlet
www.ulg.ac.be/libnet/germa/hamleteng.htm
VIDEO:
Hamlet (1990), starring Mel Gibson, directed by Fra
Zeffirelli
Hamlet (1996), starring and directed by Kenneth
Branagh
Hamlet (2000), starring Ethan Hawke, directed by
Michael Almereyda. A modern re-telling of the story
using Shakespeare’s text.
Royal Deceit (1994), starring Christain Bale, directe
Gabriel Axel. This version of Hamlet is taken from t
original Danish legend rather than the Shakespeare
play.
Shakespeare: A Day at the Globe . Guidance Associ
Video, 1990.
William Shakespeare: A Life of Drama . A&E Televisi
Networks, 1996.
Funding has been made possible in
part by the New Jersey State Council on
the Arts/ Department of State, a
partner agency of the National
Endowment for the Arts.
Continental Airlines is the official
airline of the State Theatre.