HAMLET
​by
William Shakespeare
​
CAST
Juan  Aleman II as CLAUDIUS
Victoria Ashley as ROSENCRANTZ
Dayna Childs as GERTRUDE
Cassie Jo Fastabend as OPHELIA
Xander Layden as LAERTES
Niclas Olson as HAMLET
Angela Parisotto as POLONIUS
Mason Quinn as HORATIO

BOARD OPERATOR
Erinne Kellogg

COSTUMES and SOUND
Bethany Bevier

ADAPTED and DIRECTED
by 
Niclas Olson

Best of Theatre 2018-19
The Weekly Volcano

Nominated for Seven
BroadwayWorld Seattle Awards

Best Play

Best Leadng Performer
Niclas Olson

Best Featured Performer
Victoria Ashley

Best Featured Performer
Dayna Childs

Best Featured Performer
Angela Parisotto

Best New Play or Adaptation
Niclas Olson

Best Direction of a Play
​Niclas Olson
​A messenger from beyond arrives with a chilling message for the Prince of Denmark. He must kill the king, revenge his father, and claim the throne for his own. Under a watchful public eye, surrounded by backstabbing friends and surprising allies, Hamlet seeks to fulfill his mission, but at what cost? New Muses returns to the tale of HAMLET, Prince of Denmark, with a sensational new production in the intimate Dukesbay Theater.
Dukesbay Theater
508 6th Ave #10, Tacoma, WA
1.11.2019 - 1.27.2019
Friday and Saturday at 8:00    Sundays at 2:00

Press:

​"The best adaptation of Shakespeare's HAMLET I have yet to see was performed by New Muses Theatre Company. Director Niclas Olson, who also wrote this adaptation and played the leading role, downplayed the "Melancholy Dane's" histrionics in much of the play, portraying him as a brooding and more inward-looking young man -- not to mention a spoiled and arrogant rich kid -- so when he did give way to histrionics, it was explosive. The performance was presented in a contemporary setting on an almost empty stage. The small house and minimal costumes and sets brought out the drama more intensely." - Alec Clayton (The Weekly Volcano, Best of Theatre 2018-19)
"Olson has crafted something cinematic – indeed this work comes across as film noir. The actors are mostly in dark costumes; the lighting is moody and enhanced with the use of fog and smoke. The drama flows through a neat series of short scenes that are spaced apart with segments of cool jazz... Olson portrays the figure as brooding, thoughtful and ruminating. He’ll stand in the semi dark, having a sip from his pocket flask and forming his thoughts as he nurses a cigarette. It is like viewing a fire that is fuming rather than burning. Yet the slightest breeze causes the coals to glow and sparks to fly. Hamlet looks dark, but the flames are volatile, apt to flare up at any moment, at the slightest provocation... Fastabend’s Ophelia is cherubic and vivacious... It was Childs that I watched during the final duel... She stands back in the shadows (the lighting in the play is fantastic) and it slowly dawns on her something is terribly wrong... Parisotto brings a number of gifts to bear in her performance. She makes full use of fingers, hands and expressive body language to flesh out her fluency in Shakespearian speech... Xander Layden is fantastic as Laertes... [Victoria Ashley's] large, expressive eyes and dexterity with language are mesmerizing... There is much to love about the ways in which this production brings the Shakespeare classic to life... New Muses is known for bringing classic theatrical material to Tacoma audiences. With “Hamlet,” the scrappy theatrical company has done a magnificent job of showing how Shakespeare’s masterpiece remains timeless. - Dave Davison (Tacoma Weekly)
"Another practically flawless production by New Muses Theatre Company... Olson downplays the “Melancholy Dane’s” histrionics in much of the play, portraying him as a brooding and more inward-looking young man — not to mention a spoiled and arrogant rich kid — so that when he does give way to histrionics, it is explosive... The lighting and costuming on the ghost of King Hamlet is perfectly ghostly. He is barely seen, and, in his overcoat and helmet, he looks powerful... Layden is excitable and expressive as Laertes and more self-contained as Guildenstern. When he performs as a declarative actor in the play put on for the benefit of the king and queen, his preening and posing seemed a parody of actors at the time. Angela Parisotto is nervous and fluttery as Ophelia’s mother and becomes a quite comical character as the grave digger. Fastabend plays Ophelia marvelously. In earlier scenes when she speaks of her love for Hamlet, her eyes and her smile sparkle, making her adoration of the prince palpable... Victoria Ashley plays Rosencrantz and Barnardo with an intensity to match that of Olson’s Prince Hamlet... Every show should be sold out; my recommendation is get thee to Dukesbay." - Alec Clayton (Tacoma News Tribune)
A New Muses Theatre Company production at the Dukesbay Theater (508 6th Ave | Tacoma)