A Room in the Castle

Folger Theatre and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company present the world-premiere production of A Room in the Castle, a reimagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet from the perspectives of the women within the troubled castle walls. Written by Lauren M. Gunderson (The Book of Will, Peter Pan and Wendy), one of America’s most produced playwrights, the production is directed by Kaja Dunn and is on stage at the historic Folger Shakespeare Library on Capitol Hill, March 4–April 6, 2025. 

In this parallel retelling of Hamlet, Gunderson shifts the spotlight to Ophelia, Gertrude, and Anna, Ophelia’s steadfast handmaid, as they contend with the chaos and danger surrounding them in the male-dominated court. Through this feminist lens, A Room in the Castle trades Hamlet’s turmoil for a meditation on the power of women in community. Combining drama with humor, music, and a defiant hope for the future, A Room in the Castle invites audiences to consider whether the women’s narratives must end in Shakespearean tragedy or if they may write their own story.

A Room in the Castle features Sabrina Lynne Sawyer (Folger Theatre’s The Winter’s Tale) as Ophelia, Oneika Phillips (1776, Fela!, and Amazing Grace on Broadway) as Queen Gertrude, and Burgess Byrd (Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s The Amen Corner and The Importance of Being Earnest) as Anna.

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