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A Modern Day Comedic Twist on a Shakespearean Classic: Hamlette

Drama teachers: now is your chance to “shake up Shakespeare” with a modern day twisty-turny interpretation of the classic Danish tale. Allison Williams’ Hamlette is a hilarious one-act comedic adaptation that is perfect for both high school and middle school students to help them understand and enjoy Shakespeare in a whole new way.

The Keegan Theatre in Washington DC performed this play as part of their new Theatre for Young Audiences program, Keegan PLAY-RAH-KA. Under the direction of Ricky Drummond , these talented performers appealed to Shakespeare fans – and theatre fans – of all ages.

We just closed Hamlette after a very successful run! I wanted to express my thanks to you for being so wonderful about communicating, and for writing such a playful and fun script! The audiences all enjoyed it, and there were so many comments on how much they loved it. Some points that stood out were how well your text and Shakespeare’s text were interwoven, how much people related to Hamlette, and (perhaps my favorite) kids who didn’t know if some of the written goofs were on purpose. SO many kids thought that pulling off the ghost costume was an accident!

– Ricky Drummond

Way to go, Keegan Theatre!

Get a copy of the play Hamlette.


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Products referenced in this post: Hamlette

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Practical Approaches to Shakespeare in the Drama Classroom

by Julie Hartley

Shakespeare is one of the greatest resources a drama teacher can have. But teaching it can be a challenge. Practical Approaches to Shakespeare in the Drama Classroom helps drama teachers break down the Bard to make his themes, language and characters accessible to all.

Script Bundle - Shakespeare plays

A selection of 10 Shakespeare perusal scripts. Whether it's a cutting that uses the original text, a monologue or scene book, or a parody that spoofs the story, these plays offer a great window into Shakespeare's world.

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Theatrefolk is the Drama Teacher Resource Company. We are your one stop shop for Plays, Resources, and Curriculum Support - all specifically designed for High School and Middle School drama teachers.
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