Hamlet

Theater by the Blind, the only blind theater in the United States, celebrates its 27th Anniversary year with a production of Hamlet. Ike Schambelan directs.

In this sleek, visceral, clear production, a prince receives a charge to avenge his father’s murder and wonders if he really saw a ghost or unjustly suspects his uncle. Hamlet is about playing, seeming, acting, fired by showmanship, flauntingly theatrical. People try to improve Shakespeare by inflating — more soldiers, longer processions.

Theater By The Blind strips the artifice, the veneer, to reveal the meat, the bones, the life, leaping back over 400 years of encrusted tradition to Shakespeare’s rules. Much faster running times than you would expect, actors playing more than one role, and talking to the audience at any time. It’s got a contemporary voice and a tempo that soars and engages.

There is an open captioned performance May 21. Braille & large print programs available.

The theater is wheelchair accessible. Vision-impaired patrons may tour the set 45 minutes before curtain. To reserve a wheelchair place or set tour call 212-243-4337.