The Culture Vulture absolutely adores Shakespeare. Show-stopping story lines, plot twists galore, and more than a few character quirks - what's not to love? Yet after awhile, the countless renditions can become tired and stodgy. Leave it to 7 Stages (the L5P premier theatre for alternative scripts) to humanize and urbanize Hamlet with a contemporary rewriting and performance.
The Day of Murders in the History of Hamlet
7 Stages Theatre - Little Five Points
Through Sunday, April 25
Utilizing one very malicious golf club, a brain-rotting television, and a cereal-infested, liquor-soaked stage, Bernard-Marie Koltes has resurrected four of Shakespeare's most famous characters. The Day of Murders in the History of Hamlet watches as Claudius paces his hordes of junk, vainly attempting to ignore his socially unacceptable family. Opehlia falls into the dark void of reality tv, mistaking the "un"scripted plots for her own reality. Ever the impudent strumpet, Gertrude teases and taunts her king, while slowly sipping her sweet poison. In perhaps the best tweak of all, Hamlet is driven to bludgeon his archenemy to a pulp with none other than a golf club.
Tickets for this play start at $17.50, but vary between dates. Showtimes are 8p.m. Thursday April 22 through Saturday April 24, as well as 5p.m. Sunday April 25. Also of note, there's no intermission during the 90 minute runtime. A word of caution - this play contains adult content and smoking, as well as the use of stage fog.
In a tasty bit of philanthropy, Inman Park's Fritti and Sotto Sotto restaurants are offering a $25 pre-show pre-fixe menu Thursday through Saturday! Just mention the play promo when you make your reservation. Both spots suggest a 5:30p.m. reservation prior to an 8p.m. show. Best of all, 7 Stages gets a nice cut of the profits.
