Cymbeline will be Hamlet Isn’t Dead’s 32nd mainstage production, bringing us that much closer to completing Shakespeare’s full canon! We are thrilled to announce that we will be producing the Bard’s wackiest play at Theatre 154 in partnership with ChaShaMa and Out of the Box Theatrics. For the first time as a company, we are producing a mainstage in a fully-outfitted, wheelchair accessible theatre, but we need your help to keep the (spot)lights on!

Hamlet Isn’t Dead (HID) was founded in 2012 with the simple and ambitious goal of producing the entirety of Shakespeare’s canon in chronological order. Since then, we have produced thirty-one of the thirty-eight shows we consider canon, as well as dozens of other series, projects, one-shots, and original works. We have also honed our distinctive style of performance, coined "HIDiocy." We use direct address, live music, and an emphasis on joy and humor to create a theatrical environment that is open to all. Our mission is to create Shakespeare that is fun and accessible to all audiences, regardless of their exposure to classical works. Our work and its insistence on serving, representing, and reaching NYC’s multifaceted audience truly set us apart from the traditional classical scene.

Cymbeline will be an ensemble-heavy showcase of our Resident Acting Company (or HIDiots!) directed by HID Company Director Valerie Peter Chong (Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra). Our Version of Cymbeline (affectionately called CymbelMEME by company members) tackles an incomprehensible world with absurdity as a tool, and will also feature our classic brand of HIDiocy; audiences should expect an accessible, inviting, musical, and hilarious experience from the minute they arrive, as we carry them through the parallel arcs of Posthumus and Imogen, testing their agency against the forces of fate.

Cymbeline will be performed May 15-22, 2025 at Theatre 154 and will provide performance opportunities for at least 13 members of our Resident Acting Company. Casting and other details coming soon!

The transition to Theatre 154 represents a larger shift in production quality for Hamlet Isn't Dead. The historic West Village space comes with wheelchair accessible audience seating, fully outfitted lighting and sound grids, and a newly renovated lobby and bar. We are also thrilled to collaborate with likeminded companies like Out of the Box Theatrics, whose commitment to intimate storytelling that uplifts marginalized voices is closely aligned with our own mission. Finally, we’re excited to return to the West Village where we performed early in our life as a company and where audiences reflect our irreverent, colorful, and unconventional style. 

Change is exciting but it’s also resource-intensive. Our venue rental costs for Cymbeline reflect the quality of the theater’s amenities as well as its desirable location. You and Theatre 154 can be our deus ex machina, but God is expensive! Help us stabilize and thrive during this transitional period so that we can continue to bring you great theatre beyond this season! #ThanksJupiter

We need to raise $6500 by April 1st to cover our 10 day booking (includes tech rehearsals). Not only is this space a clean, inviting, and accessible environment for our audiences, Theatre 154 also provides comfortable dressing rooms for performers, complete with kitchen appliances and private bathrooms.

100% of your contribution to this campaign will go to the rental costs associated with our booking at Theatre 154 for Cymbeline (excepting any processing fees from Fractured Atlas). 

Hamlet Isn't Dead's Cymbeline Performance Space fundraiser is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of funding Cymbeline Performance Space must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” only. The value of each free ticket received is $30. Any contribution above that amount is tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.