Something is Nude in the State of Denmark: All-Male, All Naked “Hamlet” Production Set to Open in Brooklyn

A few months ago, Backstage put out an intriguing casting notice for an all-male, ALL-NUDE production of Hamlet set to debut in Brooklyn this summer.

Casting Equity actors for “Hamlet.” Synopsis: With an all-male cast, Torn Out Theater‘s bold new production of “Hamlet” will make selective use of full nudity to explore justice, madness, and the imperative to pursue truth in spite of society’s constraints. The show will be performed in Prospect Park in August, with an option to extend to Central Park in September.

With our ‘Hamlet,’ we turn an eye toward the fraught and complex territory of male body image, aiming to promote body positivity through the use of nudity as a non-sexual storytelling mechanic. All roles in this production will require partial nudity. Some will require full nudity. All nudity in the production will be non-sexual. The safety and comfort of our actors is paramount. We will work with you continuously to ensure that your boundaries are established and maintained. Actors of all ethnicities and ages are encouraged to apply. We particularly welcome submissions from actors with diverse body types.”

Color me intrigued!

Director Pitr Strait, who directed last year’s all-female Tempest, said the idea to let the men strut their stuff upon the stage in the buff, was an effort to address some “really tragic” responses he received from audience members.

“[They said things like] well, thank God they did it with women, no one wants to see a naked man,” Strait told DNAinfo. “I began to think there was a lot of pain and repression out there among men, especially about men’s bodies.”

“Hamlet is a play about who is being truthful and who is not, and deceit and false faces, and when you are completely revealed, being naked, you’re not hiding a whole lot,” explained actor Brendan Walsh, who will be portraying Hamlet’s mother Gertrude.

Hamlet will play at the Music Pagoda in Prospect Park on August 10, 11 and 12 at 5:30 pm and at 2 pm on August 13. The performance is free to the public.

For more information, check out Torn Out Theater’s website.

(via: NewNowNext; Photos: Publicity still from the Torn Out Theater)