Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks all-female ‘Hamlet’ takes to city parks

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks is planning its second all-female production, with upcoming performances of “The Tragedy of Hamlet.”

“Hamlet” will open Saturday in Frick Park and run weekends through Sept. 26 in four outdoor venues around the Pittsburgh area.

As with the troupe’s 2019 production of “Julius Caesar,” choosing all women actors was a deliberate choice, said PSIP founding artistic director Jennifer Tober.

“We’re pushing back against sexism and marginalization (of women actors) in the theater,” she said, and the stereotyping of female characters as being either “wenches or witches.”

“We love men, too, but we wanted to provide a place for female and female-identifying actors,” she said. “We also actively tried to recruit people of color. Part of our mission is to further justice in the community and to make greater opportunities for people who have been denied or pigeon-holed into certain roles.”

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