There’s a new Hamlet in town—and I can honestly say you’ve never seen Hamlet like this before.
Last week, I had the privilege of attending the opening night of playwright Robert O’Hara’s bold new adaptation of William Shakespeare’s infamous tragedy at Center Theatre Group’s Mark Taper Forum. I went in expecting a creative take, but what I experienced was something far more profound—an exhilarating, mind-bending reimagining that tore apart the familiar and reconstructed it into something entirely original.
The production begins as you might expect: the language is Shakespeare’s, the story seemingly intact, the tone steeped in the traditional gravitas of a royal court in mourning. Hamlet is grieving, Claudius is conniving, Gertrude is enigmatic, and the ghost of Hamlet’s father looms large. But then, slowly and with almost surgical precision, the narrative begins to shift. Scenes start to unravel. Perspectives tilt. The production breaks the fourth wall—not just theatrically, but philosophically. Suddenly, you’re no longer watching a play unfold. You’re being asked to question the very foundation of the story you thought you knew.
What if Hamlet’s version of events isn’t the truth? What if the entire revenge arc we’ve accepted for centuries is more complicated than it appears? O’Hara’s adaptation doesn’t just reinterpret the text; it interrogates it. It forces us to wonder what’s being hidden, what’s being manipulated, and what might have really happened behind the curtain of Shakespearean tradition.
One of the most striking elements of this production is its treatment of Ophelia (Coral Peña). Her death—long assumed to be a suicide by drowning—becomes a question mark, an open-ended mystery that refuses easy answers. I’m not one for conspiracy theories, but in this version of Hamlet, suspicion is not only allowed, it’s encouraged. Was her death really an accident? Was it truly her choice? Or was there something more sinister at play? These are the kinds of questions that start to bubble up as the play cleverly dismantles its own mythology.
The performances are, in a word, sensational. Leading the cast is Patrick Ball, known for his work in The Pitt, who brings a fresh, layered complexity to the role of Hamlet. His portrayal is intense, mercurial, and at times disarmingly vulnerable. Opposite him is the legendary Gina Torres—whose résumé spans everything from Firefly to Suits—as a powerful, commanding Gertrude. Torres delivers a performance that is both regal and deeply human, and she anchors the emotional weight of the play with grace and fire. The chemistry between the cast members is electric. You get the sense that they are not just performing this work—they are living inside it, exploring its edges, discovering its secrets in real time.
What makes this production so thrilling is its refusal to settle. It’s a version of Hamlet that constantly challenges, surprises, and provokes. It’s playful and irreverent in moments, and heartbreakingly raw in others. O’Hara doesn’t just adapt Shakespeare—he engages in a full-on dialogue with him, one that invites the audience to take part. It’s meta, it’s modern, and yet it never loses touch with the emotional core of the original play.
By the end of the night, I found myself sitting in stunned silence, processing what I had just seen. I wasn’t simply moved—I was shaken, in the best way possible. I left the theater not with answers, but with questions. And that, to me, is the sign of truly great art. Hamlet is playing now through July 6th—get tickets here—do not miss this incredible production—which I could easily see heading to Broadway at some point—or even a film adaptation!
PHOTOS | JEFF LORCH