Now-Aug. 3: PSF Presents “Hamlet” and “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” in Rotating Repertory
Performance Schedule:
- “Hamlet” previews July 9–10, opens July 11, and closes Aug. 3.
- “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” previews July 17–18, opens July 19, and closes Aug. 2.
The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival unveils a theatrical event as bold as it is ingenious: Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” performed in rotating repertory by a single powerhouse ensemble. Witness the same actors—and the same world of Elsinore—transform from tragedy’s center stage to comedy’s existential sidelines. The repertory cast includes Biko Eisen-Martin, Sean Close, and Maboud Ebrahimzadeh.
In “Hamlet,” the prince’s life shatters when his father’s ghost exposes a murderous betrayal: his uncle, Claudius, has stolen the throne and wed Hamlet’s mother. What follows is a relentless struggle between revenge and redemption, as Hamlet’s pursuit of truth threatens to destroy everything he holds dear.
Then, in Tom Stoppard’s Tony Award-winning “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” two minor characters from “Hamlet” stumble into the spotlight. With whip-smart wordplay and existential hilarity, the hapless duo grapple with their roles in a story they don’t understand—flipping coins, missing cues, and questioning reality itself.
PSF invites patrons to enhance their theatergoing experience with Opening Night champagne receptions, post-show talkbacks with the cast, specialty dinners, and, for a behind-the-scenes look, special Epilogues that include a backstage tour. Adding to the ambiance, patrons can relax to live music “On the Green” before each performance. PSF will also offer audio-described, open-captioned, and sign-interpreted performances on select dates.
Learn more and purchase tickets at pashakespeare.org, visit the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, or call 610-282-WILL (9455). Discounts are available for military personnel, educators, seniors, students, and groups of 10 or more.
The production sponsor for “Hamlet” is Amaranth Foundation. The co-sponsors are Douglas Dykhouse and Joanne Hartshorne. The actor co-sponsor is in memory of Judy D’Annibale.
The production sponsors for “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” are Breslin Architects, and the co-sponsor is Joanne Hartshorne.
The festival’s 2025 season sponsors are Marilyn McDonald, MD, and Joe Folger. Associate season sponsors are Mary Bongiorno; Linda Lapos and Paul Wirth; Kathleen Kund Nolan and Timothy E. Nolan; Yvonne Payne and Edward Spitzer; the Szarko Family; and the Harry C. Trexler Trust.
Questions? tina.slak@pashakespeare.org