Women Playing Hamlet (Published by Playscripts)

by William Missouri Downs

Winner of a Rolling Premiere from the National New Play Network

PUBLISHED BY PLAYSCRIPTS!

In Shakespeare's day, men played the women's roles. In this new comedy, women play all the men's roles. It's the story of Jessica, an actress who has been cast to play Hamlet in New York. After accidentally interrupting a performance of Hamlet starring Patrick Stewart, Jessica thinks Mr. Stewart is stalking her; she also...

Winner of a Rolling Premiere from the National New Play Network

PUBLISHED BY PLAYSCRIPTS!

In Shakespeare's day, men played the women's roles. In this new comedy, women play all the men's roles. It's the story of Jessica, an actress who has been cast to play Hamlet in New York. After accidentally interrupting a performance of Hamlet starring Patrick Stewart, Jessica thinks Mr. Stewart is stalking her; she also faces an uphill battle through a maze of self-important humanities professors, Freudian psychiatrists, and a Danish mother only to discover she doesn’t understand Hamlet, or herself. The search for identity is the theme as Jessica takes on her emotional baggage and an existential overload, as well as her self-doubt and disdain for Danish fondue. In the end she takes the stage and finds herself.

"This wickedly clever new play from William Missouri Downs, dubbed 'a comedy about a tragedy,' uses an all-woman cast to explore questions of courage and conscience in a modern setting, managing to both spoof Shakespeare and pay homage to him in a two-hour show that moves like lightning." - The Patriot News Harrisburg

"With the colorful script and vivid characters Women Playing Hamlet is a slam dunk..." - Kansas City Examiner

"What's amazing lies in the script where Downs dissects Hamlet's intricate character and puts all aspects of Hamlet's persona in Jessica's challenge to scale the ladder to play the part." - Kansas City Examiner

"A rollicking satire jabbing shallow pop culture, overly reverential attitudes toward literature and the intensive navel-gazing shared by actors." - Florida Theatre On Stage

"Silly, profound and ultimately moving" - Florida Theatre On Stage

"Downs's script has... theater history and some of the eternal questions about playing Hamlet woven into its fabric, along with funny and sobering truths about the actor's life." - Miami Herald

  • Inquire About Rights
  • Recommend
  • Download
  • Save to Reading List

Women Playing Hamlet (Published by Playscripts)

Recommended by

  • David A. McElroy: Women Playing Hamlet (Published by Playscripts)

    Our production company, Southern Winds Theatre in Orlando, Florida produced "Women Playing Hamlet," a few years back and still getting compliments on the play itself and our production. A very funny and good roles for women!

    Our production company, Southern Winds Theatre in Orlando, Florida produced "Women Playing Hamlet," a few years back and still getting compliments on the play itself and our production. A very funny and good roles for women!

  • Emma Goldman-Sherman: Women Playing Hamlet (Published by Playscripts)

    This is hilarious! And I love that it's all done on a bare stage with the regular breaking of the 4th wall, and I love that all the men are played by women for revenge - as stated in the script! When I say things like that people ask me if I hate men, but Downs is a man, so he gets to say that without worry, and I truly appreciate it! Jessica is a fantastic character! Brilliant work!

    This is hilarious! And I love that it's all done on a bare stage with the regular breaking of the 4th wall, and I love that all the men are played by women for revenge - as stated in the script! When I say things like that people ask me if I hate men, but Downs is a man, so he gets to say that without worry, and I truly appreciate it! Jessica is a fantastic character! Brilliant work!

  • National New Play Network: Women Playing Hamlet (Published by Playscripts)

    Woman Playing Hamlet by William Missouri Downs received a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. The partnering NNPN Member Theaters were Unicorn Theatre (Kansas City, MO), Gamut Theatre (Harrisburg, PA), and New Theatre (Miami, FL).

    Woman Playing Hamlet by William Missouri Downs received a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. The partnering NNPN Member Theaters were Unicorn Theatre (Kansas City, MO), Gamut Theatre (Harrisburg, PA), and New Theatre (Miami, FL).

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization Rolling Premiere from the Natianal New Play Network, Year 2015
  • Type Reading, Organization Unicorn Theatre, Year 2014

Production History

  • Type Community Theater, Organization Actors' Warehouse, Gainesville - Florentine Players, Omaha, Year 2023
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Big Dawg Productions, Wilmington, Year 2023
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Biloxi Little Theatre, Biloxi, MS, Year 2023
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Caltech Playreaders Pasadena, CA, Year 2023
  • Type Community Theater, Organization County Seat Theater Company, Cloquet, MN, Year 2023
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Florentine Players, Year 2023
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Lilac City Dinner Theater, Year 2023
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Angelina Community Theatre, Lufkin, TX, Year 2022
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Black Box Theatre, Las Cruses, NM, Year 2022
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Blue Ridge Community Theater, Blue Ridge, GA, Year 2022
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Ember Women’s Theatre, Columbus, OH, Year 2022
  • Type Community Theater, Organization New Hampshire Theatre Project, Portsmouth, NH, Year 2022
  • Type Community Theater, Organization The Theatre of Western Springs, Year 2022
  • Type University, Organization Eastern Oregon Regional Theatre, Baker City, OR, Year 2022
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Angelina Community Theatre, Lufkin, TX, Year 2021
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Caltech Playreaders. Pasadena, CA, Year 2021
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Curtain Players, Galena OH, Year 2021
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Curtain Players, Galena OH, Year 2021
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Curtain Players, Galena, OH, Year 2021
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Little Colonel Players , Pewee Valley, KY, Year 2021
  • Type Community Theater, Organization New Hampshire Theatre Project, Portsmouth, NH, Year 2021
  • Type Community Theater, Organization The Theatre of Western Springs, Western Springs, IL, Year 2021
  • Type High School, Organization Horton High School, Norton OH, Year 2021
  • Type High School, Organization Irion County High School, Mertzon, TX, Year 2021
  • Type High School, Organization Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park, IL, Year 2021
  • Type High School, Organization Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park, IL, Year 2021
  • Type Professional, Organization The Snarks, LTD, New York, NY, Year 2021
  • Type University, Organization Lasing Community College, MI, Year 2021
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Alouette Academy of Arts, Miami, FL, Year 2020
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Alouette Academy of Arts, Miami, FL, Year 2020
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Hartwell Players, Melbourne, Australia , Year 2020
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Little Colonel Players, Pewee Valley, KY, Year 2020
  • Type Community Theater, Organization The Majestic Theatre, Corvallis, OR, Year 2020
  • Type Fringe, Organization Ephemeral Theatre Company, Chicago, Year 2020
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Amelia Community Theatre, Year 2019
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Leduc Drama Society, Leduc, Canada, Year 2019
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Village Players, Fort Thomas, KY, Year 2019
  • Type University, Organization Earlham College, Year 2019
  • Type University, Organization University of Wisconsin Green Bay, WI, Year 2019
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Persistence Theatre, Newfoundland, Canada , Year 2018
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Scorpio Theatre Society, Calgary, Canada, Year 2018
  • Type University, Organization Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD, Year 2018
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Juneau Douglas Little Theatre, Year 2017
  • Type Professional, Organization Charlotte Art League, Year 2017
  • Type Professional, Organization Donna Scott Productions, Year 2017
  • Type Professional, Organization Ojai Theatre, Califorina, Year 2017
  • Type Professional, Organization Pegasus Theatre, Dallas, Year 2017
  • Type Professional, Organization Playhouse South, Kettering, Ohio, Year 2017
  • Type Professional, Organization Tallgrass Theatre Company, Year 2017
  • Type Professional, Organization Tongue in Cheek Theatre, Year 2017
  • Type University, Organization Finlandia University, Michigan, Year 2017
  • Type University, Organization University of Wisconsin, Sheboygan, Year 2017
  • Type University, Organization UW Sheboygan, Year 2017
  • Type Professional, Organization Theatre 54 @ Shetler Studios, Year 2016
  • Type Professional, Organization Harrisburg Shakespeare Company, Year 2015
  • Type Professional, Organization New Theatre, Year 2015
  • Type Professional, Organization Published by Playscripts, Year 2015
  • Type Professional, Organization Unicorn Theatre, Year 2015

Awards

  • Rolling Premiere
    National New Play Network
    Winner
    2015