Hamlet, William Shakespeare’s brilliant tale of a Dutch prince who goes nuts trying to avenge the death of his father, has enthralled and captivated audiences for more than 400 years. And for good reason. It’s filled with amazing lines, suspense, thrills, a treacherous twist ending, ghosts, and a whole lotta crazy.
Now imagine it if the story took place in Cuba.
You’ve probably seen Hamlet performed dozens of times by dozens of theater troupes. But we promise you you’ve never seen it like this. The Asolo Repertory Theatre commissioned Pulitzer Prize-winning author Nilo Cruz to not only translate the Bard’s tale into Spanish but also give it a wholly Cuban twist. Hamlet, Prince of Cuba, which opens Friday at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, is the result — a fresh, contemporary take on the sweet prince’s plight and madness. Will the characters be smoking Coronas and wearing guayaberas? You never know. But Asolo promises to stay true to the classic tragedy while giving audiences a new perspective on it. Friday’s performance, in Spanish, begins at 8 p.m. Saturday’s 3 and 8 p.m. shows will be in English, and Sunday’s 3 p.m. show will be in Spanish.
Fri., May 11, 8 p.m.; Sat., May 12, 3 & 8 p.m.; Sun., May 13, 3 p.m., 2012