Actors with Down syndrome share the spotlight in Teatro La Plaza’s contemporary ‘Hamlet’ on Oct. 13
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UNIVERSITY PARK -- A poignant adaptation of a Shakespeare classic provides actors with Down syndrome a role in the spotlight. Teatro La Plaza will make its Penn State debut with "Hamlet" at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
Tickets are $39 for an adult, $14 for a University Park student, and $19 for a person 18 and younger. Buy your tickets online via the Arts Ticket Center. Avoid the $4 fee by purchasing by phone at 814-863-0255 or in person, weekdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at Eisenhower Auditorium.
The Center for the Performing Arts and the Arts Ticket Center are parts of the Penn State College of Arts & Architecture.
The production is presented in Spanish with English captions. Visit cpa.psu.edu/events/teatro-la-plaza-hamlet for program advisories and more information, including how to reserve ASL interpretation or audio description services.
Hamlet connects William Shakespeare's classic text and the cast members' lives in a bold, reconstructed narrative style. Directed by Chela de Ferrari, the actors alternate reciting scenes and passages from the playwright's original text to deliver an irreverent and honest portrayal of humanity.
Teatro La Plaza, a theater and creative space based in Peru, explores new and classic plays that question, provoke and surprise. Since 2019, the company has performed "Hamlet" in more than 20 countries. "Hamlet" is presented by Aurora Nova.
The actors 'choose life'
CPA Director Sita Frederick called Teatro La Plaza's production "one of the most inspiring plays I have seen, full stop."
"Shakespeare's most famous play is combined with the lived experiences of eight Peruvian performers with Down syndrome," she said. "The characters reveal, wrestle with and overcome barriers. The actors share roles, interview previous 'Hamlets' by video, incorporate audience members, and ultimately choose to celebrate life instead of spiraling into inevitable death and rage." Watch a preview of Teatro La Plaza "Hamlet."
"Hamlet" is one of the featured programs in a year-long series created by the Performing Arts and Disability Collaborative, a new initiative made possible in part by a Penn State Humanities Institute Colloquia grant. Visit Performing Arts and Disability Collaborative for more information.