WINONA, Minn. – The Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona opens its 21st season with “Hamlet” on June 29 and “Much Ado about Nothing” on June 30. The plays run alternate nights, albeit some nlack nights. There are some 1 p.m. matinees. Tickets: $18 to $52, although a preview performance of each production a day ahead of openings is $4. Final curtains are the last weekend in July. The venue: Fusillo Theater at Winna State University.
Image: “Hamlet and Horatio” in the Graveyard” by Eugene Delacroix (1839)
Tanah Flanagan. A guest director for Winona festival. From New York.
Her take on “Hamlet”: “Tarah Flanagan takes on one of the most complex characters of the Shakespeare canon. For centuries, women have played the role of Hamlet, sometimes portraying him as a man and sometimes, as supported by Danish legend, as a woman. In consultation with director Doug Scholz-Carlson, Tarah has decided to play Hamlet as a man. She explains that the women in Hamlet are highly criticized for the decisions that they make, but both culture and the text do not afford them the ability to choose their circumstance. Approaching the role of one of the men who is most critical of the women’s choices presents an opportunity for Tarah to more fully understand the mental and emotional struggles that Hamlet faces.”
Image: “Kill Claudio” by Max Cowper (1905)
Gaby Rodriguez. A guest director for Winona festival. Cuba-born.
Her take on Much Ado”: “Director Gaby Rodriguez says she’s always drawn to connect stories to specific communities.“Much Ado” is the perfect play to do this with. It is a play about a neighborhood celebrating the return of their loved ones but also grasping with consent, building of trust, and the unsung heroes saving the day. Winona today is not unlike Messina, as a society we are constantly celebrating together and renegotiating relationships. This production will place young people at the center of the story. As the ones that save the day and the ones that represent the future of the community. As a director and educator, I’ve always admired the way young people question and challenge the world we live in and and and often are able to pinpoint truths that adults get lost in.”