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By William ShakespeareDirected by John Deaderick
Thursday-Sunday
October 29-November 8, 7:30PM
Special Saturday matinee October 31
Sunday Matinees at 2:00PM
Nevada Theatre, Nevada City, California
$25 General Admission
$35 Reserved Seating
More than four centuries after William Shakespeare first introduced audiences to the troubled Prince of Denmark, Hamlet returns to the historic Nevada Theatre in a bold new production directed by veteran actor, director, and educator John Deaderick.
For Deaderick, the production marks the culmination of a lifetime devoted to theatre.
“This is my swan song,” says Deaderick, who recently retired after forty years teaching acting and theatre history at Sierra College. He first directed Hamlet at the Nevada Theatre in 1995 and returns to the play more than three decades later with what he describes as a deeper understanding of Shakespeare’s masterpiece.
“I’ve thought about it for thirty-one years,” he says. “I want to dig into it and find the truth that’s there.”
Rather than presenting Hamlet as a museum piece, Deaderick’s production embraces a contemporary aesthetic with modern costumes, a minimalist set, and an emphasis on language, performance, and direct engagement with the audience.
“It’s living theatre,” he says. “Every culture has to find the truth of it that works for its own time.”
One of the production’s central ideas challenges one of the most common interpretations of Shakespeare’s tragedy. Deaderick argues that Hamlet is not contemplating suicide during his famous “To be, or not to be” soliloquy.
“It’s really about action—not suicide,” he explains. “Hamlet has been told to avenge his father’s murder, but his conscience makes him question whether he can commit the act.”
The production also shines a brighter light on the play’s female characters. By expanding casting opportunities for women and exploring the ways Gertrude and Ophelia navigate a male-dominated world, Deaderick hopes audiences will discover new dimensions within one of literature’s most familiar works.
Leading the cast is Danny McCammon as Hamlet, joined by Micah Cone as Claudius, Michaela King as Gertrude, Iona Swift as Ophelia, Ehrland Hollingsworth is Horatio, Michael La Marca as Laertes, Scott Young as Polonius, and John Fisher as the Ghost. The ensemble also features Hunter Reed, Ken Miele, Aubrey Puetz, Miles Wolfers, David Jordan, Nicolas Federspiel, Vicki Columbo, and Audrey Delgado.
A longtime presence at the Nevada Theatre, Deaderick first appeared on its stage in 1981 in the title role of Dracula. Among his favorite performances there are Amadeus, Equus, and Cyrano de Bergerac. This production of Hamlet is dedicated to the memories of local theatre artists Dianne Fetterly and George Cloud.
With its actor-centered approach, contemporary perspective, and respect for Shakespeare’s original language, Deaderick’s Hamlet invites audiences to experience one of the world’s greatest plays as it was always meant to be experienced—not as a relic of the past, but as living theatre that continues to speak powerfully to modern audiences.
Director John Deaderick (SAG /AFTRA) first performed in the Nevada Theater in 1981 as the title role in Dracula. He directed Hamlet on this stage in 1995 as a member of The Foothill Theatre Company. His favorite roles in the Nevada Theatre include “Salieri” in Amadeus, “Dysart” in Equus, and Cyrano de Bergerac. John is dedicating this production to the late Dianne Fetterly and the late George Cloud. He cast Dianne as “Polonia” in that earlier Hamlet; George was the quintessential “Lucky” in John’s 1985 production of Waiting for Godot. John recently retired from Sierra College after 40 years teaching acting and theatre history.
CLAUDIUS – Micah Cone
FORTINBRAS, PLAYER – Hunter Reed
LAERTES – Michael La Marca
POLONIUS – Scott Young
HAMLET – Danny McCammon
HORATIO – Ehrland Hollingsworth
GERTRUDE – Michaela King
COURTIER, PLAYER KING, GRAVEDIGGER – Ken Miele
COURTIER, PLAYER QUEEN, GRAVEDIGGER – Aubrey Puetz
OSRIC, PLAYER – Miles Wolfers
MARCELLUS, CAPTAIN, PLAYER – David Jordan
BERNARDO – Nicolas Federspiel
GHOST – John Fisher
OPHELIA – Iona Swift
ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN – Vicki Columbo & Audrey Delgado
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Event venue
Nevada Theatre, 401 Broad St, Nevada City, CA 95959-2407, United States
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