Hamlet is believed to be Shakespeare's twenty-second play.  It was written in the early 17th century and since its first public performance a few years later, the iconic work has been performed and adapted countless times.  Notable performances and adaptations include an 1858 performance in Virginia with Edwin Booth as Hamlet and his brother John Wilkes Booth as Horatio, London performances that began in 1775 with Sarah Siddons becoming the first established actress to play Hamlet, and even a cartoon adaptation of the story in Disney's The Lion King.  The coveted role of Hamlet has been taken on by celebrated actors such as Laurence Olivier, Kenneth Branagh, David Tennant, Mel Gibson, Ethan Hawke, Kevin Kline, Sir Ian McKellen, Sarah Bernhardt, Richard Chamberlain, Christopher Plummer, and Daniel Day-Lewis.

AUP's Hamlet is "set in a modern world; a world extremely similar to our own.  We are keeping all of Shakespeare's words but moving the setting to the United States instead of England.  The actors will be dressed in modern fashion, with the action centering in the White House, drawing inspiration from popular television shows such as The West Wing and House of Cards.  And finally, our Hamlet is a woman (Lauren Briggeman), playing a woman," says AUP Artistic Director R. Brian Noffke.  AUP has assembled a stellar cast that includes Doug Powers (Claudius), Amy Hayes (Gertrude), Leah DeWalt (Ophelia), Adam Tran (Laertes), David Mosedale (Polonius), Tim Sheehan (Horatio), Bradford Reilly (Rosencrantz), Marcy Thornsberry (Guildenstern), Dan Flahive (Reynaldo/Player King), Kelsey Miller (Bernardo/Hamlet Understudy), Katherine Shelton (Marcellus/Ophelia Understudy), Elisa Creekmur (Osric/Player Prologue), Tristan Ross (Clown/Player Prologue), Adrienne Reiswerg (Player Queen), Taylor Cox (Player Lucianus), Paul Creekmur (Secret Service Agent), and Bernard Wurger as the Ghost.