Shakespeare's Hamlet by Milburn Stone Theatre at Cecil College in North East, Maryland

What To Know About This Production

By William Shakespeare

Classic Drama | Recommended for ages 13+ due to adult content.

Arguably the greatest play in the western canon makes its triumphant return to the Milburn Stone Theatre

Enter the haunting world of Shakespeare's masterpiece, 'Hamlet,' where tragedy, treachery, and the timeless quest for truth collide in a gripping tale of power and revenge. Prince Hamlet, mourning the untimely death of his father, is thrust into a web of deceit when he learns of his uncle's nefarious plot to seize the throne. As ghosts haunt the castle halls and secrets unravel, Hamlet grapples with the weight of his own morality, torn between duty and desire. With iconic soliloquies, unforgettable characters, and themes of betrayal, madness, and the complexity of the human condition, 'Hamlet' remains one of the most enduring works of English literature. Experience the drama, intrigue, and raw emotion of Shakespeare's timeless tragedy in a production that will leave you breathless and questioning the very essence of existence.


Performance Dates

  • Jan 24 Friday 8:00 PM
  • Jan 25 Saturday 2:00 PM
  • Jan 25 Saturday 8:00 PM
  • Jan 26 Sunday 2:00 PM
  • Jan 27 Monday 10:00 AM

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Auditions For Shakespeare's Hamlet

What To Expect At Auditions

There will be two auditions for Shakespeare’s Hamlet: Monday, September 23rd and Wednesday, September 25th. Auditions will take place between 7:00pm - 9:00pm. We HIGHLY recommend you audition in person, but if you cannot make one of the audition dates work there is the ability to submit a video on the form.

Rehearsal for Shakespeare’s Hamlet will begin in late September. Rehearsals will be based on both performer and production staff availability, so please submit all known conflicts at the time of auditions. The Milburn Stone Theatre traditionally rehearses between 2 to 4 times a week. Tech dates for Shakespeare’s Hamlet will be held on January 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, no conflicts will be accepted for these tech dates.



Performances for Shakespeare’s Hamlet will be held on January 24 at 8pm, January 25 at 2pm & 8pm, and January 26 at 2pm. There will be a School Day Matinee on Monday, January 27 at 10:00am

The Milburn Stone Theatre is a community Theatre on a college campus, our productions are open to the entire community, not just Cecil College Students, Faculty and Staff. This production is non-paid/non-union

Callbacks

Callbacks for Shakespeare’s Hamlet will be held on Monday, September 30th from 6pm to 10pm, Callback notifications will be sent out by Friday, September 27th at 5pm. The callback process will consist of cold readings from the script.

Audition Materials




The Director is encouraging those who are auditioning to prepare one of four monologues. please visit milburnstone.org/auditions to access the monologues:

For Males/Male Presenting:

Egeus’ Monologue in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Act One, Scene One) Starting with “Full of Vexation Come I, with complaint” to “Immediately provided in that case.” 

Bassinio’s Monologue in The Merchant of Venice (Act Three, Scene Two) Starting with “So May the outward shows be least themselves” to “Hard Food for Midas, I will none of thee.” 

For Females/Female Presenting: 

Miranda’s Monologue in The Tempest (Act One, Scene Two) Starting with “If by your heart, my dearest father” to “The Fraught Souls Within Her.” 

Portia’s Monologue in Julius Caesar (Act Two, Scene One) Starting with “Is Brutus Sick?” to “Even From Darkness.”

Narrator/Tutor Roles - See Role Description

Physical copies of these monologues will also be available at the theatre on nights of auditions as well, but memorization/familiarization of one of these pieces is encouraged.






Audition Times

  • Sep 23 Monday 7:00 PM
  • Sep 23 Monday 7:15 PM
  • Sep 23 Monday 7:30 PM
  • Sep 23 Monday 7:45 PM
  • Sep 23 Monday 8:00 PM
  • Sep 23 Monday 8:15 PM
  • Sep 23 Monday 8:30 PM
  • Sep 23 Monday 8:45 PM
  • Sep 25 Wednesday 7:00 PM
  • Sep 25 Wednesday 7:15 PM
  • Sep 25 Wednesday 7:30 PM
  • Sep 25 Wednesday 7:45 PM
  • Sep 25 Wednesday 8:00 PM
  • Sep 25 Wednesday 8:15 PM
  • Sep 25 Wednesday 8:30 PM
  • Sep 25 Wednesday 8:45 PM

Audition Form

Audition Process

Create your free Cast98 user account then return here to fill out the online audition form.

There are four steps to the audition form:

  1. General info and privacy disclaimers
  2. Contact information and background
  3. Upcoming conflict calendar
  4. Time slots and preferred roles

Once submitted, you can review your form and make changes up until your audition date.

Cast List For Shakespeare's Hamlet

Available Roles

  • Hamlet - (25 to 35 years of age) - The protagonist of the tragedy, Hamlet is a beloved prince and a thoughtful, melancholy young man. Distraught by his father’s death, Hamlet is only made more depressed by his uncle Claudius’ succession to the throne and his subsequent marriage to his mother. When the ghost of the king, Hamlet’s father, tells him that he was murdered by his brother, Claudius, and that Hamlet must avenge him, Hamlet becomes almost suicidal and obsessed with revenge. He is slowly driven mad by his inability to act on this instruction.
  • Ophelia - (20 to 30 years of age) - A young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes, and at times courted by Prince Hamlet. She is obedient, agreeable, and maidenly, but ends up in a state of depression-driven madness due to Hamlet’s actions and the death of her father.
  • Horatio - (25 to 35 years of age) - Hamlet’s best friend from University, a scholar, an advisor and voice of reason to the Prince. He is sound in his thinking and logical in his approach to everything, although his deep loyalty and love for Hamlet is of emotion, not thought.
  • Claudius - (50 to 65 years of age) - Claudius, the play's antagonist, is the king of Denmark and Hamlet’s uncle. He is a conniving strategist who poisoned his own brother in cold blood so that he could claim the throne. He remains calculating throughout the play, driven by his ambition and lust. When he realizes that Hamlet is not mad as he originally believed, and in fact poses a threat to his crown, Claudius quickly begins to plot Hamlet's death.
  • Gertrude - (45 to 60 years of age) - Gertrude is the queen of Denmark and Hamlet’s mother. She was originally married to Hamlet’s father, the dead king, but has now married the new king, Claudius, her former brother-in-law. Gertrude is rather weak and unable to match wits in an argument, but her love for her son remains strong despite the mired conflict between the two of them.
  • Polonius - (50 to 65 years) - Father to Laertes and Ophelia, counselor in the court of Claudius and Gertrude, he dispenses advice to the King and Queen. He is deemed the “comic relief” of the play due to his complete lack of self-awareness in thinking he is wise and knowledgeable when he is anything but.
  • Laetrtes - (22 to 30 years of age) - Son of Polonius, brother to Ophelia, he is a loyal citizen of the kingdom, a master swordsman, and ostensibly a man of honor. He holds his family dearly and blames Hamlet for their deaths which sets him on a path of retribution.
  • The Ghost - (50 to 65 years of age) - The Ghost of Hamlet’s Father (also known as King Hamlet) appears in only a few scenes. His presence is primarily the vehicle that drives the plot as his spectral instruction to his son, Prince Hamlet, is to avenge his death at the hands of his brother, Claudius.
  • Rosencrantz - (25 to 35 years of age) - Rosencrantz is a University mate and friend of Hamlet who is asked by the King to spy on the Prince in order to figure out the cause of his madness. He is rather spineless, obedient, and self-serving, and not nearly intelligent or savvy enough to fool Hamlet.
  • Guildenstern - (25 to 35 years of age) - Gildenstern is a University mate and friend of Hamlet who is asked by the King to spy on the Prince in order to figure out the cause of his madness. He is rather spineless, obedient, and self-serving, and not nearly intelligent or savvy enough to fool Hamlet.
  • Francisco - (18 to 30 years of age) - Francisco is a sentry of the Castle Elsinore and one of the first characters to encounter King Hamlet’s ghost. Francisco will also appear in scenes with the Court.
  • Bernard - (18 to 30 years of age) - Barnardo is a sentry of the Castle Elsinore and one of the first characters to encounter King Hamlet’s ghost. Barnardo will also appear in scenes with the Court.
  • Marcellus - (25 to 40 years of age) - Marcellus is a sentry of the Castle Elsinore and the first to alert Horatio as to the appearance of King Hamlet’s ghost. Marcellus will also appear in scenes with the Court.
  • Gravedigger - (30+ years of age) - The unnamed sexton tasked with digging Ophelia’s grave who unearths Yorick’s skull. The Gravedigger will also appear in some of the scenes with the Court.
  • Osric - (age 18+) - Osric is the courtier sent by Claudius to invite Hamlet to participate in the duel with Laertes. Osric will also appear in some of the scenes with the Court.
  • Player King - (25 to 40 years of age) - The Player King is the leader of the troupe of touring actors. In the
  • Player Queen - (25 to 40 years of age) - Part of the troupe of touring actors who stage the “play within a play”. Can be male or female. Player Queen will also appear in some of the scenes with the Court.
  • Third Player - (20 to 40 years of age) - Part of the troupe of touring actors who stage the “play within a play”. Portrays the role similar to Claudius and kills the fictitious king by pouring poison into his ear. Third Player will also appear in some of the scenes with the Court.
  • The Court - (20 + years of age) - Eight to ten ensemble members for the opening scene, as audience for the “play within a play”, mourners, other players, executioner, and spectators of the duel.
  • Narrator/Tutor - (16 to 25 years of age) The Director is also creating two roles in the outside world of the show to act as Narrators to describe the action and world of the show throughout the production. They will act as a “Student” and “Tutor”and will periodically break down the story and offer clarification on plot points as the audience eavesdrops on the conversations. Ideally, these roles would be for upper high school/college age actors with no gender specificity. For those interested in these parts, we would like you to audition with a 2-3 minute synopsis of Hamlet such as a tutor would begin the session with a student.

Cast List

The cast list is not yet posted. Please check back later.

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