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UNIVERSITY PARK -- A poignant adaptation of a Shakespeare classic provides actors with Down syndrome a role in the spotlight. Teatro La Plaza will make its Penn State debut with "Hamlet" at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
Tickets are $39 for adults, $14 for University Park students, and $19 for those 18 and younger. Tickets can be purchased online via the Arts Ticket Center, or avoid the $4 fee by purchasing by phone at 814-863-0255 or in person, weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Eisenhower Auditorium.
The Center for the Performing Arts and the Arts Ticket Center are parts of the Penn State College of Arts & Architecture.
The production is presented in Spanish with English captions. Visit "Hamlet" online for program advisories and more information, including how to reserve ASL interpretation.
"Hamlet" connects William Shakespeare's classic text and the cast members' lives in a bold, reconstructed narrative style. Directed by Chela de Ferrari, the actors alternate reciting scenes and passages from the playwright's original text to deliver an irreverent and honest portrayal of humanity.
Teatro La Plaza, a theater and creative space based in Peru, explores new and classic plays that question, provoke and surprise. Since 2019, the company has performed "Hamlet" in more than 20 countries. "Hamlet" is presented by Aurora Nova.
Actors 'choose life'
CPA Director Sita Frederick called Teatro La Plaza's production "one of the most inspiring plays I have seen, full stop."
"Shakespeare's most famous play is combined with the lived experiences of eight Peruvian performers with Down syndrome," she said. "The characters reveal, wrestle with and overcome barriers. The actors share roles, interview previous 'Hamlets' by video, incorporate audience members, and ultimately choose to celebrate life instead of spiraling into inevitable death and rage."
"Hamlet" is one of the featured programs in a yearlong series created by the Performing Arts and Disability Collaborative.
Sensory-friendly venue
Eisenhower Auditorium is certified by KultureCity as a sensory-friendly venue. One goal of the Center for the Performing Arts is to offer everyone an opportunity to enjoy an event, regardless of a guest's invisible neurodisabilities such as dementia, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and autism.
Guests are welcome to visit a designated quiet space on the lounge level, or sign out a variety of items to help self-regulate, including noise-reducing earmuffs, anti-strobe glasses, lap pads and carefully curated sensory tools. The KultureCity app helps reduce uncertainty by providing pre-visit social stories, so guests know what to expect.
For more information about the season, visit the Center for the Performing Arts online at
cpa.psu.edu, Facebook and Instagram.