Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival opens 'Hamlet 50/50' at DeBartolo Performing Arts Center

Tribune Staff Report
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Xavier Edward King plays Hamlet and Peter Simon Hilton, inset, plays Claudius in the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival's Professional Company production of "Hamlet 50/50," which opens Aug. 17 and continues through Aug. 27, 2023, at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Hilton co-adapted the play with director Vanessa Morosco.
Xavier Edward King plays Hamlet and Peter Simon Hilton, inset, plays Claudius in the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival's Professional Company production of "Hamlet 50/50," which opens Aug. 17 and continues through Aug. 27, 2023, at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Hilton co-adapted the play with director Vanessa Morosco.
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SOUTH BEND — The Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival’s Professional Company production of “Hamlet 50/50” opens Aug. 17 with an opening-night gala and performance and continues through Aug. 27 at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

Adapted as part of the 50/50 Shakespeare Project, “Hamlet 50/50” is designed to bring a new level of balance and equity to the workplace of Shakespeare production. Where other productions have had female actors playing male roles, “Hamlet 50/50” takes a different route, offering a 50/50 balance of lines between male and female characters.

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Written between 1599 and 1602, “Hamlet” takes place two months after the death of Hamlet’s father, the king of Denmark.

Even as the son mourns his father’s death, however, his mother, Gertrude, remarries quickly, to Claudius, the new king and Hamlet’s uncle.

Xavier Edward King, as Hamlet, peers at TayLar as Gertrude and Peter Simon Hilton as Claudius in the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival's Professional Company production of "Hamlet 50/50," which opens Aug. 17 and continues through Aug. 27, 2023, at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Hilton co-adapted the play with director Vanessa Morosco.
Xavier Edward King, as Hamlet, peers at TayLar as Gertrude and Peter Simon Hilton as Claudius in the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival's Professional Company production of "Hamlet 50/50," which opens Aug. 17 and continues through Aug. 27, 2023, at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Hilton co-adapted the play with director Vanessa Morosco.

The ghost of Hamlet’s father tells him Claudius murdered him and charges Hamlet with the duty to avenge his death.

Director Vanessa Morosco adapted the text with Peter Simon Hilton, who plays Claudius.

The cast also features Xavier King as Hamlet, Madeline Calais as Ophelia, TayLar as Gertrude, Becca Ballinger as Horatio and Joe Foust as Polonius.

Madeline Calais plays Ophelia in the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival's Professional Company production of "Hamlet 50/50," which opens Aug. 17 and continues through Aug. 27, 2023, at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Preview performances take place Aug. 15 and 16.
Madeline Calais plays Ophelia in the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival's Professional Company production of "Hamlet 50/50," which opens Aug. 17 and continues through Aug. 27, 2023, at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Preview performances take place Aug. 15 and 16.

The opening night gala begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are $75.

Performances continue at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 18-19 and 22-26 and at 2 p.m. Aug. 19-20 and 26-27. Tickets are $40-$10.

Preview performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 15 and 16. Tickets are $20-$10.

For more information, call 574-631-2800 or visit performingarts.nd.edu or shakespeare.nd.edu.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame's 'Hamlet 50/50' seeks gender equity in lines