Stage combat, pop music, and witty banter make for a must-see livestream!
The College of Charleston’s Department of Theatre and Dance will stage Living Dead in Denmark by Vietnamese-American playwright, television writer, and screenwriter Qui Nguyen. Known for his innovative use of pop-culture, stage violence, puppetry, and multimedia (as seen is the College’s 2014 production of Nguyen’s She Kills Monsters), the innovative playwright combines some of these elements into this action-adventure/horror sequel to William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The undead have risen to power and are trying to take over the world, led by the zombie lord and true king of Denmark. Fortinbras, assembling a formidable opposition, has resurrected the corpses of some of the greatest women that Shakespeare had to offer: Lady Macbeth, Juliet, and the very angry Ophelia. A clash of the undead titans ensues!
The Living Dead in Denmark livestream will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 12 and Saturday, March 13, 2021. The production contains material recommended for mature audiences. Admission prices are $25 (groups of 3 or more), $15 (adults), $12 (seniors, military and 18 & under), $8 (College of Charleston faculty, staff and students). Tickets can be purchased online at showtix4u.com/events/cofcstages. Captioning will be available for both performances, and cast/crew talkbacks will follow each show, with an American Sign Language interpreter at the March 13 talkback. For more information, email cofcstages@cofc.edu or call (843) 953-6306.
Living Dead in Denmark premiered in 2006 at Vampire Cowboys Theatre (NYC), which was cofounded by Nguyen and is the first professional theatre organization officially sponsored by NY Comic Con. The New York Innovative Theatre Awards honored the play with Best Choreography/Movement and nominated it for Best Production of a Play, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, and Best Sound Design.
As Producing Artistic Director of Trustus Theatre, guest director Chad Henderson brings his extensive knowledge and experience to the College’s academic and artistic stage. He has assembled a talented design team of College of Charleston theatre students Mary Hope Ballou (set design) and Erin Cooper (costume design), faculty member Jason Lyons (lighting design) and professional sound designer Caleb Garner. Dance major Julia Kabernagel is choreographer and faculty member Evan Parry is fight choreographer. Theatre major Victoria Leatherman is stage manager.
A native of Spartanburg, S.C., Henderson began working at Trustus Theatre in 2007 as Marketing Director. He directed professionally for eight years before being named Trustus Theatre’s third Artistic Director in 2015 and appointed the Producing Artistic Director in 2020. Henderson was honored by the S.C. Theatre Association with the 2019 Founders Award in recognition for his contributions to the state’s theatre community. The Charleston community and visiting theatergoers may have seen Henderson’s direction of PURE Theatre’s Fun Home production that appeared in its 2018 season and during Piccolo Spoleto.
Check out the article Living Dead in Denmark Pits Zombies Against Lady Macbeth, Ophelia and Juliet in the Charleston City Paper
To view the Playbill, click here.