Catskill Mountain Shakespeare (CMS) presents a matinee performance of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet at the Phoenicia Playhouse, celebrating its 50th Season!
Hamlet is directed by London Academy of Dramatic Arts graduate and CMS Company Member Sydney Berk. Reimagined through a bold contemporary lens, this production is set in a punk-inspired 1980s world, electrifying Shakespeare’s classic with the raw energy of rebellion, youth culture, and political unrest.
Tickets available at the door or in advance at: https://our.show/catskillmountainshakespeare-hamlet-at-playhouse
Saturday April 25th @ 2:00 pm
(Doors open at 1:30 pm)
Q&A after the show
@ The Phoenicia Playhouse
10 Church Street, Phoenicia, NY 12464
Streamlined into a fast-paced 90-minute touring adaptation and performed by a dynamic cast of six actors, Hamlet explores the play’s timeless themes of authority, identity, and defiance. The result is a visceral, high-impact production with no intermission, that delivers Shakespeare’s language with urgency and clarity, designed to captivate modern audiences and first-time Shakespeare viewers alike. Driving the production’s pulse is a soundtrack featuring iconic punk and post-punk artists such as The Sex Pistols, Dead Kennedys, and Social Distortion whose music underscores the play’s emotional intensity and revolutionary spirit.
In addition to each performance, CMS offers educational engagement opportunities including post-show Q&A sessions and optional student workshops led by CMS Teaching Artists. These programs are designed to help students connect Shakespeare’s work with contemporary themes and deepen their understanding of the text.
Catskill Mountain Shakespeare will bring William Shakespeare’s Hamlet to schools and community venues throughout the Catskill region as part of its 3rd Annual Community Tour, running from April 13 to May 3, 2026. For 2026 Community Tour schedule updates or 2027 Community Tour booking inquiries, visit www.catskillmountainshakespeare.com or contact Managing Director Frank Wildermann at f.wildermann@catskillmountainshakespeare.com.
The tour is supported, in part, by a $25,000 grant from Shakespeare in American Communities, a national program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest and in association with Catskill Mountain Foundation. The grant allows CMS to provide professional Shakespeare performances and educational programming to middle schools, high schools, and community audiences across the region. This marks the third consecutive year CMS has received support from the program.
About Catskill Mountain Shakespeare:
Founded in 2020, Catskill Mountain Shakespeare is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theater company dedicated to producing vibrant, professional productions of classic works. Inspired by the beauty of the Catskill Mountains, CMS creates accessible theatrical experiences for local communities, visitors, and students while fostering diversity, inclusion, and equity both onstage and off.
