On Sept. 6, students participating in the drama club production of Hamlet met after school for their first read-through. Sitting around the drama room, students recited their lines and began their journey of getting into character.

During read-throughs, cast members highlight lines, practice speaking, and get to know their characters more in-depth. Junior Mason Gold shares his tasks during the read-through, explaining different components to the readings.

“I read through the script, I highlighted my lines, and I kind of started figuring out what my character’s motivations during the show are,” Gold said.

Gold, casted as Rosencrantz, found lots of importance in the process of  the table reading.

“Read-throughs are important for any show because it’s the actors’ first handle on the script, it’s their first time experiencing the story and the way the characters talk,”  Gold said.

The play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, was written in the nineteenth century. Being nearly four hundred years old, the interpretation of Shakespeare’s play during a read-through is vital to the final production. 

“Read throughs are important, especially with Shakespeare, because it’s very hard to understand, and, getting into the nitty-gritty part of it, it makes it a lot easier to get into character,”  court musician Claudia Lerner said. 

The students’ rendition of the play Hamlet follows Shakespeare’s original story of a tragedy among a royal family. Teachers and students alike wait in anticipation for the drama production.

“I’m very excited. I think that it’s going to be a really good show and it has some links to modern times, still-even though it’s, what, 400 years old?” Gold said.

While the piece of literature is deemed a classic, written hundreds of years ago,  the overarching message of Hamlet is still important today. In fact, drama teacher and director Cathryn Rinaldi was influenced by the play’s relevance in today’s society. 

“I am using this piece to shine light on many issues we are facing today,” Rinaldi said. 

The drama’s production of Hamlet is scheduled for December 10th, 11th, 16th and 17th at 7:30 p.m. The performance is bound to be an incredible experience.

“I think it’ll be really fun, I’m excited”, freshman Nora Fredrickson said.