EP 9: Why Not Theatre's Prince Hamlet

In this episode, co-host Marlis Schweitzer weaves together a series of interviews conducted by actor-playwright and podcast dramaturge Jeff Ho while on tour with members of Why Not Theatre’s Prince Hamlet. First produced in 2017 as part of Why Not Theatre’s 10th anniversary theatre, Prince Hamlet has been widely acclaimed for its dynamic, intersectional approach to Shakespeare, notably its bilingual blend of English and ASL and its centering of the narrative around a Deaf Horatio played by Dawn Jani Birley. The company remounted Prince Hamlet in 2019 at the Banff Centre and then Canadian Stage, as well as a number of other Canadian stops. In Fall 2022, the company reassembled for a major North American tour, including stops in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Quebec City, among others. In what follows, you'll hear company members speak with Jeff about the rehearsal process, the importance of ASL to this distinctly bilingual production, and the kinds of reactions the production elicited in audiences.

This episode features conversations with Dawn Jani Birley, Miriam Fernandes, Barbara Gordon, Jeff Ho, Dante Jemmott, Eli Pauley, and Sturla Alvsväg.

Episode 9 ⁠ASL translation⁠ courtesy of Dawn Jani Birley. ⁠ASL interpretation ⁠by Dawn Jani Birley, Robert Haughton, and Alice Lo.

Here are some links to things discussed in the episode and some suggestions for further reading:

Why Not Theatre’s Prince Hamlet

Toronto Star interview (including video) with Ravi Jain and Dawn Jani Birley on the 2017 production of Prince Hamlet

J. Kelly Nestruck’s review of the 2019 production of Prince Hamlet

Intermission Magazine video interview with Ravi Jain and Dawn Jani Birley on the 2019 production of Prince Hamlet

The Stanford Daily review of the 2022 touring production of Prince Hamlet

Jeff Ho’s interview with Dawn Jani Birley