ABOUT THE PLAY

Hamlet-911
By Ann-Marie MacDonald
Based on an idea developed by Alisa Palmer, Vita Brevis Arts
Directed by Alisa Palmer

House Program for Hamlet-911

Grade Recommendation 9+

Content Advisory

This play explores mature themes including suicide and assault. It also contains sexual innuendo. 

Synopsis

Actor Guinness Menzies has landed his dream role: he's playing Hamlet at the Stratford Festival. But just before a matinée performance, he suddenly finds himself in the Underworld, a strange realm as frightening as it is hilarious, where time is seriously out of joint. Has he gone mad? Is he dreaming? Has he died…? Meanwhile, teenager Jeremy reaches out to Guinness online as he wrestles with his own version of Hamlet's famous life-or-death dilemma

Curriculum Connections

• Global Competencies:
  • Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Learning to Learn/ Self-Awareness
• Grade 9-12
  • The Arts
  • English
  • Health and Physical Education
• Grades 11-12
  • Social Sciences and Humanities

Themes

• Action, Inaction and Responsibility
• Circles and Cycles
• Disorder, Uncertainty and Chaos
• Existence, Death and the Afterlife
• The Internet World, the Underworld and Vulnerability
• Isolation and Support
• Legacy
• Patriarchy, Privilege and Gender Inequity
• The Power of Theatre
• Wise Fools and Tricksters

DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION QUESTIONS

PRE-SHOW QUESTIONS

• What responsibility do adults have in terms of supporting young people's mental health and wellness? 
• In what ways can art make us feel less alone?
• To what extent do you think those we grow up around shape us into who we are?
• What do you think the significance of this play being set at the Stratford Festival might be?
• The play within a play is a significant dramatic convention. Apart from Hamlet, can you think of other plays where this happens? Why do you think this is a useful and effective convention used by playwrights? 
• Do you feel that current media does enough to address mental health and wellness concerns? Identify positive and negative examples of this

POST-SHOW QUESTIONS

• What did you think of the way the adults behaved in the play? Were they responsible?
• Why is it important to recognize privilege and the effects it can have? What privileges did Guinness have in the play? Why was it important for the character in the play to understand his privilege, and why is it important for audiences to understand his privilege?
• If someone you know is feeling isolated or unwell like Jeremy was, what are some good places you might advise them to turn to? What resources and supports could help? 
• Why do you think this play is centred around a performance of Hamlet? Can you imagine it having been focused on a different play? Why or why not?
• Which character did you connect with most in the play? Why do you think this is the case?
• What parts of this play confused you? What parts made you uncomfortable? Do you think Ann-Marie MacDonald made intentional choices to evoke those feelings? Why or why not? 
• How would you describe the character of Yorick? What role did Yorick serve in this play and did it make you think of characters in any other forms of media you've seen?
• The play opens with a land acknowledgement being criticized by student audience members in the fictional world of the play's performance of Hamlet. What are some shortcomings of land acknowledgements as they are currently done? What changes could be made?

MINDS ON

Objective: This exercise invites students to think about what this brand new play might be about by encouraging them to ask questions and make predictions.

Materials: Two colours of sticky notes and a wall, white board or large sheet of paper, the list of themes from this study guide.

Directions

• Share the play's title, playwright's biography and synopsis with the class.
• Let students know you will be sharing predictions and questions about the play with one colour sticky note used for predictions and the other for questions.
• Ask students to either make a prediction or ask a question.
• Have the students discuss their comments with each other as a whole class, in small groups or in pairs. Do they notice any common predictions or questions?
• Review the collection of stickies after seeing the play to assess predictions and answer questions.

Possible Extension

• Invite students to write out a reflection in response to seeing the play in which they compare their initial prediction or question to what happened in the play. How did it make them feel? Why?

Debriefing Questions

• How accurate were your predictions? In what ways was the play different from your expectations?
• What surprised you about the play? Why?
• Is there anything you would have changed? 

CONNECTION TO THE ARCHIVES

Karen Robinson as Lillian Delacourt, Chick Reid as Kate Terry and Brenda Robins as Shelagh McIntyre in Shadows, 2002. Directed by Dennis Garnhum. Set design by Lorenzo Savoini. Costume design by Joanne Dente. Lighting design by Ereca Hassell. Photograph by Terry Manzo. Stratford Festival Archives,GPO_2002_014_5131

Brent Carver as Ben Singer in Shadows, 2002. Directed by Dennis Garnhum. Set design by Lorenzo Savoini. Costume design by Joanne Dente. Lighting design by Ereca Hassell. Photograph by Terry Manzo. Stratford Festival Archives,GPO_2002_014_5192

The Studio Theatre is celebrating its 20th anniversary this season and Hamlet-911 (along with 1939 and Every Little Nookie) will be joining the list of Canadian plays that have premiered or been produced on the stage of the Studio Theatre. Other productions include Shadows (2002), Harlem Duet (2006), Zastrozzi (2009), Possible Worlds (2015), and The Breathing Hole (2017). 

Why do you think it is important that the Stratford Festival consistently shows Canadian work? Why do you think the Studio Theatre is the usual venue for new Canadian plays? What does it say about Hamlet-911 that it will now be included in this list of Canadian works?

The Stratford Festival's Archives maintains, conserves and protects records about the Festival and makes those materials available to people around the world. Their collection contains material ranging from 1952 right up to the present and includes administrative documents, production records, photographs, design artwork, scores, audio-visual recordings, promotional materials, costumes, props, set decorations and much more. These materials are collected and preserved with the aim of documenting the history of the Festival, preserving the page-to-stage process, and capturing the creative processes involved in numerous other activities that contribute to the Festival each season.  

In addition to visiting the Archives in person, you can explore a selection of their holdings via their online catalogue.

RESOURCES

House Program - Hamlet-911

Trailer - Hamlet-911 Coming soon

Study Guide PDF - Hamlet-911

Ann-Marie MacDonald

Guardian Article - Alas Poor Yorick! The Shocking Life of Theatre's Greatest Skull

The Hamlet Podcast Episode 157: Alas, Poor Yorick

PBS Media: Many Different Hamlets

If you are worried about a friend or loved one, or have suicide-related concerns, help is available. Please connect with the following resources:

The Canada Suicide Prevention Helpline: 1-833-456-4566

The U.S. Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Go to Kids Help Phone for live chat counselling, text "CONNECT" 686868 or call 1-800-668-6868

Post-Secondary Student can access Good2Talk at 1-866-925-5454 

Booking Information: Tickets, Workshops, Chats and Tours

Student Matinées

You may book any available date, but selected student matinée performances for this show are at 2 p.m. on the following dates:

• Friday, September 2nd
• Tuesday, September 20th
• Thursday, September 22nd
• Tuesday, September 27th

Workshops, Chats and Tours

Pre or Post-Show Workshops, Chats and Tours (virtual, onsite or at your school/centre) can be booked by calling the Box Office at 1.800.567.1600.

TOOLS FOR TEACHERS SPONSORED BY

Tools for teachers include Prologues, Study Guides and Stratford Shorts.       

 PROUD SEASON PARTNERS 

PRODUCTION SUPPORT FOR HAMLET-911 IS GENEROUSLY PROVIDED BY HARKINS & MANNING FAMILIES IN MEMORY OF JIM & SUSAN HARKINS.
SUPPPORT FOR THE CREATION OF HAMLET-911 IS GENEROUSLY PROVIDED BY THE FOERSTER BERNSTEIN NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.