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The Bard’s play about a prince buggin’ out is SPARC Theater’s showcase production outdoors in Livermore Valley wine country this summer.
Opening this week and continuing through July 26, William Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” gets the 1990s treatment on the stage in Darcie Kent Vineyards in the adaptation directed by SPARC’s leader, Lisa Tromovitch. The classic play is still deeply rooted in the text’s original language, themes and storytelling despite shifting the setting nearly 400 years forward, she noted.
“At its heart, ‘Hamlet’ is a family story,” Tromovitch said in a press release.
“The play asks a question we still wrestle with today: Do we act from love, or do we act from fear? Every character is forced to make that choice — between trust and suspicion, compassion and self-preservation — and those choices ripple through every relationship in the play,” she continued, adding:
“That’s what makes ‘Hamlet’ endure. Audiences may come expecting Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, but they’ll recognize themselves in these relationships.”
Known as Shakespeare’s longest play (although Tromovitch and team have adapted it down to 2-1/2 hours), “Hamlet” follows the titular prince coping with his king father’s murder and trying to exact revenge on his uncle Claudius for the crime while navigating devolving relationships with his mother Gertrude and his flame Ophelia.
Bay Area actor Andre Amarotico stars as Hamlet, a role he previously took on in college at Stanford University.
“Since playing the role 10 years ago, a lot of life has been lived that informs my approach to the character, as there’s an emotional depth that comes with experience in love and loss,” said Amarotico, whose professional credits include “M. Butterfly” at SF Playhouse, “McNeal” at San Jose Stage and Bay Area Critics Circle Award-nominated turn in “Assassins” at Hillbarn Theatre.
“What I find most compelling about Hamlet is the way in which his life circumstances, floated on perhaps the most beautiful language ever written, readily stirs an emotional response in me,” Amarotico added. “You can always go deeper with him, and every time I ask another question, or peel back another layer, I am rewarded with a miraculous view of the human being that Shakespeare framed, which breaks my heart and somehow also affirms my soul.”
The SPARC cast also features Anjoli Aguilar as Ophelia, Lauren Dunagan as Gertrude, Sarah Dunnavant as Horatia, Rob Seitelman as Claudius, Greg Parker as Polonius and the Gravedigger, Nic Moore as Laertes and Rosencrantz, and Charlie Lavaroni in multiple roles, including Guildenstern and Osric.
As for the onstage setting change to the 1990s, SPARC officials said, “The production blends timeless themes with a fresh visual aesthetic, creating an experience that feels both familiar and immediate.”
And on the venue, they added, “Experience live Shakespeare in an immersive outdoor setting unlike any other. As the sun sets over the vineyard, Shakespeare’s tale of love, loss and revenge unfolds beneath the stars.”
The production begins with a preview show this Thursday (July 2) leading into regular performances at 7:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays until July 26, except for an off-day for the Fourth of July.
A “Shakespeare Happy Hour” is held starting at 6 p.m. Wine is sold by glass or bottle by Darcie Kent Vineyards. Outside alcohol is prohibited, but attendees can bring in a picnic meal. Snacks will be sold onsite. Parking is free. Organizers recommend a jacket or blanket.
“Hamlet” is the headliner of SPARC’s 20th anniversary season, which also included a staged reading of a script, “Entangled”, generated by artificial intelligence and a human-written piece, “The Moon Is Always Full”, for its Science@Play program in March and a full production of Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie” in Livermore and San Ramon in May.
As part of its anniversary summer, SPARC is holding immersive Shakespeare programs for local youth in third through 12th grades this month – with offerings different for elementary, middle and high school students.
The nonprofit partnered with Darcie Kent Vineyards, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Livermore and other local wineries for a special stay-and-play package for interested Shakespeare in the Vineyard attendees, available through the hotel.
Darcie Kent Vineyards is located at 7000 Tesla Road in Livermore. For tickets and more information, go to sparctheater.org/hamlet.
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