Paly Theatre’s spring production, “Hamlet,” premiered at the Performing Arts Center on April 13.
Set in modern day Denmark, Prince Hamlet (senior Kyle Vetter) is commanded by his father’s ghost to avenge his murder by his uncle Claudius (senior Jack Champlin) in his attempt to become king.
Unlike previous spring plays from Paly Theatre, which typically open in early March, the difficulty of a Shakespearean play such as “Hamlet” meant more time was needed to prepare for the play, according to junior and Assistant Director Aether Yun.
“Aside from just memorization, ‘Hamlet’ is also a longer play,” Yun said. “It’s also more intensive in blocking because you can’t rely on just the text to convey the meaning of a monologue or soliloquy.”
Senior Mireia Sainz Blasi said one of the biggest challenges she faced while preparing for the play was balancing her work for theater with other schoolwork. As the Stage Manager, Sainz Blasi has to attend every rehearsal.
“It’s a really big time commitment, and I’m in the (Performing Arts Center) from the end of school until 6:30 p.m. every day,” Sainz Blasi said. “But luckily, not everyone is called at all times, and so the main characters in a lot of scenes have off days.”
Theater teacher Sarah Thermond said as a result of the later premiere date, some of the cast had time conflicts with spring sports.
“Scheduling logistics was complicated,” Thermond said. “But pushing our spring show back definitely helped ease the stress in a lot of students involved. Compared to last year, we felt much more calm during preparations this year.”
Thermond also said high schools rarely perform “Hamlet,” but this play allows for creative freedom in their interpretation since many of Shakespeare’s lines could have double meanings.
“I’ve been joking that I’m directing like the most anti-Hamlet Hamlet play,” Thermond said. “I do think that the way we’re interpreting it is going to make it have a little more action than people might be expecting.”
The show also runs at 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 2 p.m. April 21 in the Performing Arts Center.
Tickets are $10 for students or seniors and $15 for adults. and are on sale at
