Park Avenue Armory Hamlet/Oresteia schedule changes

Due to an injury to Lia Williams performances of Hamlet & Oresteia have been postponed and the entire schedule revamped. I just got an email this morning regarding the date for Hamlet at the end of July I had tickets for that has now been cancelled. Unfortunately, I have had to ask for refund as none of the new scheduled dates the week I am in the city work with my schedule.

I am impressed by the customer service offered by the Park Avenue Armory.

Perhaps an injury that requires surgery - or a broken bone. (It would be difficult to perform any play with a cast on your leg.)

@ClydeBarrow and @Dramamama

You guys are missing the important piece of info: they aren't waiting for Lia Williams to recover, they have already replaced her, and need time to adequately rehearse the replacements.

Jennifer Ehle will be playing Gertrude in Hamlet, while Anastasia Hille will play Klytemnestra in Oresteia. It's interesting because Anastasia Hille has played Gertrude before, about 7 years ago with Cumberbatch. So if it was a question of adequate rehearsal time, it's odd that they didn't hedge their bets by putting Hille in a role she's played before, even if the 2 productions were very different, as well as VERY different cuts of the text.

But then again, Jennifer Ehle doesn't seem like a Klytemnestra to me - though I haven't yet seen this adaptation.

They're offering 30 Under 30 tickets for all performances. They go on sale the Friday prior to the following week's shows. Just got a $30 ticket for a premium seat for the first preview, so definitely go check that out if you are able to!

I could be wrong, but I did do a little digging when I got the email. (Thankfully we are local so other dates did work). I was under the impression (and like I said, I could be wrong) that both productions were going on simultaneously. I vaguely remember the schedule for Hamlet was not every day, so I surmised that perhaps the reason for all the changes was due to new actors’ schedule. This is totally a guess on my part. In any event, I am always sorry to hear about an actors injury and wish a swift recovery.

I saw this last night and thought it was mostly great. Fantastic performances all around. It’s long and you definitely feel it as the first act was about two hours long (and there are two intermissions) I thought the final act was messy, confusing, and poorly staged, and much of the text was lost which is a shame because the rest of this production is so clear and wonderful.

Well, I was just coming here to say that I thought this production and Lawther in particular counted as one of my top 3 or 4 Hamlets ever (and I know I have seen ten times that many including some of the greats. But to each their own. I heard things in this production I had never heard before and that's always a sign of a production that accomplishes something important. No, it is not trying to be a "classic" performance of Hamlet, but it is exceptionally faithful. I also thought it was clear (all the way to the end) and quite funny (and not in a hackneyed way). Sorry not everyone can like everything.

FWIW, I count Robert Icke's Hamlet as THE single best production of Hamlet I have ever seen, or probably will ever see. And it ranks among my favorite theatrical productions ever. BUT that was at the intimate Almeida. I haven't seen it at the armory, and I'm concerned it won't fill the space properly. Also, while I like Alex Lawther on screen, I wasn't impressed with his performance in The Jungle at St. Ann's.

I guess all that's to say that neither Hogan's nor Synechdoche's posts surprise me very much, and I'm very curious to hear more reactions

By faithful, I mean (and I am not sure what else I could mean) that it utilizes Shakespeare's words to tell Shakespeare's story. There are, of course and as there always have been, many takes on that story, and this one, like all, makes choices, but the choices here are in aid of that story, not working against it (as one might say of Sam Gold, for instance).

Did they keep the Q1 scene in which Gertude conspires with Horatio? And how's Jennifer Ehle?

Anyone else see it this week?

jbird5 said: "I thought Lawther was the weakest. He is the right age for the part but plays much younger. Like a moody teen.....Luke Treadaway is wasted as Laertes being absent for much of the play. He probably would have been better as the lead.... The Armory is my favorite place to see plays."

I absolutely agree about the two actors. I found Lawther irritating, one-note, and shallow from start to end. When Hamlet reminds you of Evan Hansen, that's not a good thing. Treadway was terrific, brought much-needed energy and passion to a lethargic, bloodless evening. Ehle was still a bit tentative early this week and there were sound issues throughout. The opening scene was nearly incomprehensible (I was second row center) and just about everybody's mics malfunctioned at some point. Turning Hamlet into Boy from the North Country didn't work for me. Dylan songs come with so much specific narrative baggage of their own that I found them disruptive rather than complementary.

Fat Ham, on the other hand, which we saw the day after Hamlet, might just be the most fabulous new play in the universe right now, and thrilling to see how both works inform each other. We left the Armory feeling completely let down on Tuesday, but we left the Public euphoric. Since we're from out of town, initially we were pissed that The Oresteia was canceled, but that allowed us to grab two Fat Ham returns and alls well that ends well.

This is a thrilling, epic production. I was even a bit scared at times as there are elements of horror and blood pumping dramatics. The set and video designs are amazing. It’s very long but doesn’t drag. I was thrilled to once again see Luke Treadaway on stage and I have to say I would love to see him play the title role. Definitely not to be missed.