JEFFREY HATCHER'S HAMLET - July 25-July 28, 2013 Directed by Michael Robins Written & Performed by Jeffrey Hatcher
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JEFFREY HATCHER’S
HAMLET
Written & Performed by Jeffrey Hatcher
Directed by Michael Robins
July 25-July 28, 2013Producing Directors
Bonnie Morris & Michael Robins
Present
JEFFREY HATCHER’S
HAMLET
Written & Performed by Jeffrey Hatcher
Directed by Michael Robins
Production Company
Lighting Designer- Mike Wangen
Scenic Assistance- Dean Holzman
Stage Manager- Melissa Olson*
Production Manager- Lindsay Woolward
Production Interns-
Corry Hammett & Kelsey Myers
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association
Special Thanks
Jeffrey Hatcher, Bonnie Morris, and Michael Robins want to extend
their special thanks to the Illusion Theater Board Members for bring-
ing this new play into the world with their
“Secret Mission to Commission”!
This play will be performed without an intermission.
Photography, video and/or audio recording
and cell phone use is strictly prohibited.
This activity is made possible in part by a grant provided by the
Minnesota State Arts Board through an appropriation by the
Minnesota State Legislature from the State’s general fund and
its arts and cultural heritage fund with money from the vote of
the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008, and a grant from
the Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota.A Note From Bonnie Morris & Michael Robins
Before the Fringe, before Balls’ Cabaret, before Bryant Lake Bowl , we started
this Series as a place where new ideas for theater, for movement, for new
forms mixing up theater, music and movement could emerge. Where, with a
limited rehearsal period, limited production values, an idea could be tried out.
Our belief was if you give artists a space, some resources, a deadline (don’t
forget the deadline, theater artists always produce on deadline) something
wonderful could and might happen . This year's selection of works does seem
to have a theme (and that is something that just happened-it was not a grand
plan). All of the works feature the Writer as Performer. Theater comes from the
Greek word theatron, which means “a place for seeing.” Each week we will enter
into these artists’ worlds and see how imagination, theater, and love saved
them.
This 2013 Series reunites us with Leslye Orr, as she invites us to see how she
sees the world . Lesley was in one of our first Fresh Ink Series where she per-
formed Women Who Drink, her show about drinks and the women who
drink them. Next up, is Fruit Fly where we will introduce Illusion’s audiences
to Max Wojtanowicz & Sheena Janson and the music of Michael Gruber; and
we welcome back to Illusion’s stage, Cat Brindisi, the girl everyone fell in love
with in Illusion’s production of Love & Marriage.
The final offering in the Series, thanks to Illusion’s Board of Directors and
the Hatcher Commission, will see Minnesota’s best playwright (according to
the Star Tribune) as he himself, steps onto Illusion’s stage, in Jeffrey
Hatcher’s Hamlet.
Each performance (except Opening Nights) is followed by a facilitated discus-
sion. Please join us and share your response to this year’s offerings.
Thanks for being here to see this fresh, fresh work.Bio’s
Jeffrey Hatcher (Performer/Playwright)
Minneapolis-based playwright Jeffrey Hatcher
has developed several plays at Illusion Theater
including What’s The Word For, Three Viewings,
Murderers, Mrs. Mannerly, No Strings and Good N’
Plenty. Most recently Jeffrey worked with Bill
Corbett and Chan Poling on A Night In Olym-
pus during Illusion’s Fresh Ink Series 2012. His work has been seen locally
at the Guthrie, Children’s Theatre Company, History Theater, Mixed Blood
and the Cricket Theater. Other theaters include Yale Rep, Old Globe, Cin-
cinnati Playhouse, Milwaukee Rep, Actors Theater of Louisville, Coconut
Gove and dozens more in the U.S. and abroad. Jeffrey has adapted the
book for the Broadway musical, Never Gonna Dance, and several of his plays
have been seen Off-Broadway. He wrote the screenplay for Stage Beauty,
Casanova, and Murder at the Cannes Film Festival as well as episodes of Columbo.
He is currently writing scripts for DreamWorks and HBO. He is a member
and/or alumnus of The Playwright’s Center, the Dramatists Guild, the
Writers Guild, and New Dramatists and has earned grants and awards from
NEA, TCG, the Lila Wallace Fund, the Rosenthal New Play Prize, the
Frankel Award, Charles MacArthur Fellowship Award, Edgerton Grant,
McKnight and Jerome Foundations, Barrymore Award Best New Play (A
Picasso), L.A. Critics Circle Award Best Adaptation (Cousin Bette).
Michael Robins (Director/Executive Producing Director)
Michael founded Illusion Theater in 1974. Over the past
39 years, he has guided nearly 350 plays to production. Mi-
chael has directed several of Jeffrey Hatcher’s plays includ-
ing A Night In Olympus, What’s The Word For, and Three
Viewings. Michael was one of the team that created Illu-
sion’s Education/Prevention program in 1977, starting
with the award winning play and video Touch. Other plays
that Michael directed include Allison Moore’s adaptation
of Willa Cather’s My Antonia and James Still’s I Love To
Eat: A Love Story With Food.Bio’s
Mike Wangen (Lighting Designer) Mike is a sought after lighting de-
signer who has worked at most Twin Cities’ theaters including: Guthrie
Theater, Children’s Theater Company, Pillsbury House Theatre, Pe-
numbra, Pangea, Frank Theater, Carlyle Brown & Co, and the History
Theater. Recent designs include Buzzer, In the Red and Brown Water and
The Pride with Pillsbury Theatre, 1968 at the History Theater The Rocky
Horror Picture Show with Cardinal Theatricals. He designed Ballad of the
Pale Fisherman & Red Resurrected for Transatlantic Love Affair at Illusion
Theater. His designs for Illusion include I Love To Eat: A Love Story
With Food, Bill W. & Dr. Bob, Love & Marriage, My Antonia, A Number,
Iron Kisses, and Same Difference. Mike also serves as a lighting designer for
Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. He was recently honored
as the recipient of the 2012-2013 Playwrights Center McKnight Theater
Artist Fellowship.
Melissa Olson ( Stage Manager) Melissa is happy to return to Illusion
Theater for Fresh Ink. She has recently stage managed Bill W & Dr.
Bob and Love & Marriage at Illusion Theater. In addition to stage man-
aging Melissa coordinates events, and is currently working at Bedlam
Theatre and helping to open the new location in St. Paul. When sched-
ules allow she picks up stage management work with Envision Acad-
emy's Sideshow, Black Dirt Theater's Oklahoma!, Dakota Valley Sym-
phony's Ahmal and the Night Visitors, and Minnesota Jewish Theater.
Other credits include: Vanishing Point and Murderers at Illusion Thea-
ter, Orson's Shadow at Gremlin Theater, Night of the Living Dolls for
Ballet of the Dolls, Chiam's Love Song and Triangle Factory Fire Pro-
ject at the Minnesota Jewish Theater, Urinetown at Bloomington Civic
Theater, among many others.
HATCHER COMMISSION: For nearly 40
years, Michael Robins and Bonnie Morris have shared
their imaginations and creativity with us as the foun-
ders and producing directors of the Illusion Theater.
To honor their distinguished service to the Twin Cit-
ies’ arts community and the national theater scene, the Illusion Theater
Board of Directors & Friends are pleased to present Bonnie and Mi-
chael with the gift of “The Hatcher Commission,” an opportunity to
create a new play with their long-time friend and collaborator Jeffrey
Hatcher. The result of the Hatcher Commission is the play Jeffrey
Hatcher’s Hamlet.ILLUSION THEATER
Staff Board of Directors
Michael Robins Therese Pautz
Executive Producing Director President
Susan Thurston
Bonnie Morris Vice President
Producing Director
Robert Alma
Keith Gunderson Anthony Bohaty
Director of Finance Amy Brenengen
Willie Bridges
Karen Gundlach Barbara Brin
Director of Education Dr. Mark Bisignani
Vivian Martin
Betsy Husting James W. Dierking
Development Consultant Doug Frank
Keith Halperin
Shandai Kurylo Chris Hansen
Audience Services Manager David L. Hansen
Christina Herzog
Raina Linnerson Christopher W. Madel
Communications Director Danica Natoli
Bonnie Morris
Tiffany Robins Julia O’Brien
Development Assistant Emily Lilja Palmer
Jeffrey Rabkin
Dylan Wright Karl Reichert
Production Manager Michael H. Robins
Sally Scoggin
Anne Ulseth Jim Smart
Public Relations David Stamps
Artistic Associates Christopher J. Wurtz
Ellen Fenster
Beth Gilleland
Dean Holzman
Peter Rothstein
Mission
Illusion Theater’s mission is to create theater that illuminates
the illusions, myths, and realities of our times and to
catalyze personal and social change.September 19-October 20, 2013
:
What A Difference
A Year Makes!
Last fall Illusion launched a new musical revue as Minnesota deliber-
ated about the Marriage Amendment. After this Spring’s landmark
decision to legalize gay marriage in Minnesota, Illusion was besieged
with people asking “Will Illusion bring the show back to celebrate
this historic moment for love and marriage in Minnesota ?”
The answer is YES!
Composer Roberta Carlson and Producing Director Michael Robins
are reworking last year’s show using the same format (songs and
video interviews) exploring relationships from the first kiss to wedded
bliss; from the first bump in the road to the moment when the magic is
gone. Featuring 19 couples. They are adding new songs including
What a Difference a (day) Year Makes; You Can't Hurry Love, Every Little
Move She Makes, Don't Know Much, It's a Brand New Day, Bring It On
Home, Married Love, Telling me Lies, Just Give Me A Reason, If By Magic
as well as keeping favorites from last year’s show --- It Might as Well
Be Spring, We'll Be Together, When I Fall In Love, Here & Now, The Lit-
tle Things We Do Together, So It Goes, Sunday Morning and The Places
You Find Love.
" It's a 101 course on love and marriage."
~ Audience Member in 2012
TICKETS ON SALE IN AUGUST 2013
BOX OFFICE 612.339.49444 www.illusiontheater.orgIllusion Theater FRESH INK SERIES 2013
WHAT I THOUGHT I SAW:
RANDOM ACTS OF BLINDNESS
JULY 11-14
Written & Performed by Leslye Orr
Directed by Zaraawar Mistry
A look at the low-vision adventures of one-eyed comedienne, Leslye Orr,
and her off-kilter view of life in a 3-D world.
FRUIT FLY THE MUSICAL
JULY 18-21
By Sheena Janson and Max Wojtanowicz
Music by Michael Gruber
Directed by Nikki Swoboda & Peter Rothstein
Musical direction by John Lynn
In this expanded version of the 2012 Fringe hit, Max Wojtanowicz and
Cat Brindisi team up to find out whether a gay man and a straight woman
– a fruit and a fruit fly – can “quit each other” to find true love.
JEFFREY HATCHER’S HAMLET
JULY 25-28
Written & Performed by Jeffrey Hatcher
Directed by Michael Robins
A new piece by Minnesota’s own acclaimed play-
wright about adapting, directing and performing Shakespeare’s
greatest drama when he was 11 years old.
528 Hennepin Avenue - 8th floor
The Cowles Center for Dance & The Performing Arts
Minneapolis, MN 55403/612.339.4944/illusiontheater.orgYou can also read
