Set in the summer of 1930 in rural Mississippi, Short Life of Trouble is a unique blend of Shakespeare's Hamlet, William faulkner interviews, original southern gothic text, and live bluegrass and gospel music.

PROMPTED TO REVENGE BY A QUESTIONABLE GHOST, HAMLET IS THRUST INTO A TURMOIL THAT PUTS BOTH HIS SANITY AND HIS SOUL AT STAKE, FORCING HIM AND THOSE AROUND HIM TO GRAPPLE WITH OUR LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF MORTALITY AND OUR PLACE IN WHATEVER LIES BEYOND.

CREATED, WRITTEN AND ADAPTED BY VALERIE REDD

DIRECTED BY ERIC POWELL HOLM

CO-PRODUCER JACK SHARKEY

2015 NEW YORK INNOVATIVE THEATRE AWARD NOMINATION FOR OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE

The Soul of Man Never Dies
Full Company/ Brendan Spieth
When I Lay My Burden Down
Suzy Kohane and Valerie Redd
Where Did You Sleep Last Night
Brendan Spieth and Andy Talen
I Never Will Marry
Full Company/ Suzy Kohane
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Andy Talen and Valerie Redd
Am I Born to Die
Brendan Spieth

CAST IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

* DENOTES MEMBER AEA

John C. Egan as Ghost of Hamlet Sr, Preacher Man, and Gravedigger          Gregory Isaac as Polonius and Traveling Tent Revivalist

  *Sheila Joon as Horatio and Traveling Tent Revivalist          *Suzy Kohane as Gertrude and Traveling Tent Revivalist 

*Michael Markham as Claudius          *Joseph Mitchell Parks as Laertes and Traveling Tent Revivalist  

*Valerie Redd as Ophelia and Traveling Tent Revivalist          *Brendan Spieth as Hamlet        

*Andy Talen as Bernardo and Traveling Tent Revivalist

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Jill Woodward   ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Katherine Holland

SCENIC DESIGN Anastasia Romantsova   COSTUME DESIGN Christina Polhemus   LIGHTING DESIGN Kate McGee

SOUND DESIGN Peter Mills Weiss