Hamlet was a fantastical part of KCST’s 2022 Spring Season. The production was held in the Glicker-Milstein Theatre from March 31st-April 2nd and was directed by Sam Landa (GS ‘22). It was done in collaboration with the Columbia Circus Collective.
Cast
Hamlet: Ry Spada
Hamlet (Circus): Maia Castro-Santos
Ophelia (Acting): Nina Dia
Ophelia (Dance): Julia Patella
Ophelia (Circus): Alex Bilder
Claudius: John Howley
Gertrude: Josie Bourelly
Horatio: Armand Procacci
Polonius: Shayan Hooshmand
Laertes/Player King: Filip Przybycien
Ghost: Angela Zhang
Guildenstern/Gravedigger: Jacqueline Real
Rosencrantz/Fortinbras: Kiley Malloy
Player Narrator/Guard: Carmen Allison
Player Queen/Guard: Annika Voorheis
“From actors learning dance choreography to movement artists speaking lines, performers stepped outside of their comfort zones to bring this production to life. Breaking the boundaries of art forms and time, ‘Hamlet’ ultimately traversed the lines of what a Shakespeare play should look like—revealing an undiscovered terrain within the arts world waiting for interdisciplinary talents to fill it with color.”
– Jane Loughman and Laura Jiang, Columbia Spectator
Angela Zhang (CC ‘22) as Ghost. Photo by Emily Lord (CC ‘23).
Alex Bilder (BC ‘25) as Circus Ophelia. Photo by Emily Lord (CC ‘23).
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director: Sam Landa
Producers: Emily Ndiokho, Emma Owens, and Madison Hatchett
Choreographer: Julia Patella
Dramaturg/Assistant Director: Caroline Egler
Technical Director/Set Designer: Kristian Woerner
Production Stage Manager: Jennie Yu
Daily Stage Manager: Khayali Dhanji
Lighting Designers: Jules Gross and Asha Klass
Sound Designers: Sophia Ladyzhets and Sophie Simons
Projection Designer: Sophie Simons
Costume Designer: Camille Marchini
Props Manager: Laura Kors
Photographer: Emily Lord
Assistant Dramaturgs: Charlie Coleman and Esther Lee
Assistant Producers: Miranda Paiz and Ale Díaz Pizarro
Assistant Stage Manager: Jonah Feinberg
Assistant Costume Designer/Hair and Makeup: Laurel Carpenter
Assistant Technical Director/Run/Build Crew: Ryan Puterbaugh
Assistant Choreographer: Eden Johnson
Circus Consultant: Maia Castro-Santos
Run Crew: Eliza Heath, Sparrow Greene,
Publicity Team: Sparrow Greene
Rigging Crew: Phillipe Vercruyssen and Tommy Doyle
Wellness Captain: Talia Rosen
Shayan Hooshmand (CC ‘23) as Polonius and John Howley (CC ‘25) as Claudius. Photo by Emily Lord (CC ‘23).
Fillip Przybycien (CC ‘24) as Laertes, John Howley (CC ‘25) as Claudius, and Ry Spada as Hamlet. Photo by Emily Lord (CC ‘23).
“Shakespearean drama and circus art are both highly stylized forms of entertainment with loaded histories, dating back to the 16th and 18th centuries respectively. In spite of their longevity in our pop-cultural landscape, detractors often conceive of the two as acquired tastes—one typecast as haughty and academic; the other dismissed as crass and frivolous. One is filled with dense, poetic language; the other is movement-based, with little to no spoken dialogue. Their unique union in Circus Hamlet presents a paradoxical interplay of tradition and innovation, at times discordant with one another but, ultimately, euphoric and harmonious.”
– Maya Weed, The Blue and White
Annika Voorheis (BC ‘24) as guard, Kiley Malloy (BC ‘24) as Fortinbras, and Carmen Allison (BC ‘25) as captain. Photo by Emily Lord (CC ‘23).
Ry Spada as Hamlet, Caroline Egler (BC ‘24) as Rosencrantz, and Jacqueline Real (GS ‘22) as Guildenstern. Photo by Emily Lord (CC ‘23).
Julia Patella (BC ‘25) as Dance Ophelia and Nina Dia (CC ‘25) as Ophelia. Photo by Emily Lord (CC ‘23).
“Overall, KCST and Circus Collective did masterful work with Hamlet, turning one of the most famous plays in the English canon into something utterly creative and original. It stands out as one of the most exciting theater experiences I’ve had at Columbia, and the instantaneous standing ovation the audience gave at the end of the show seems to corroborate my opinion.”
— Grace Novarr, Bwog