The Public Theater’s Off-Broadway production of Hamlet, led by Oscar Isaac in the title role, has canceled its remaining four Saturday matinee performances. The decision was made when a performer fell ill, and a doctor advised that the intense production would prove too straining on two-show days.
Public Theater members and partners will be offered exchanges for future performances, while single title buyers will be offered full refunds as the highly anticipated production is sold out.
In addition to the evening performances, 1 PM performances were scheduled for August 5, 12, and 26, as well as September 2.
“As an artist driven organization, the welfare of our actors is always a top priority,” Candi Adams, spokesperson for the Public, said in a statement provided to Playbill. “Over the last few weeks, the intensity that Hamlet requires of our actors over the four-hour show is starting to take a toll. As a result, we are altering our remaining performance schedule.... Unfortunately, due to the sold-out nature of this limited engagement, we are unable to offer exchanges into another performance.”
In addition to Isaac, the cast of Hamlet includes Gayle Rankin as Ophelia, Charlayne Woodard as Gertrude, Keegan-Michael Key as Horatio, Roberta Colindrez as Rosencrantz, Matthew Saldivar as Guildenstern, Ritchie Coster as Claudius, Peter Friedman as Polonius, and Anatol Yusef as Laertes.
The Sam Gold-helmed production will run through September 3 at the venue’s Anspacher Theater. Performances began June 20.