On Tuesday, September 4 and Wednesday, September 5, interested students from all grades auditioned in the hopes of being cast for this year’s fall play, Hamlet.

Director Jeffrey Draper has worked on this play many times and believed it to be the perfect choice for this year’s production.

“[This play] is so good for the students; it stretches them in very specific ways: the demands with the comedy, the combat, the strong actions, and the language,” he said.

Students from all experience levels tried out. Some students auditioned for the first time, while others have participated in previous fall plays and gone through the audition process before.

Senior Alice Tsui auditioned for her fourth and final time in the Upper School.

“I think auditions are one of my weak points because I’m better in an environment where I don’t have to worry about being called back or get cast,” she said. “I think [auditioning] is one of the steps to bring me forward in my acting career.”

On the other hand, Vishal Vaidya (10) auditioned for the first time this year.

“I wanted to have a new experience,” he said. “I think it’ll be really cool to just see how I match up against other people and see if I’m any good.”

Any students were eligible to audition as long as they filled out the required form and signed up for an audition. At the audition, students presented various Shakespeare monologues, many with their coveted role in mind.

“It’s painful to cast this. I’m hurting because there is so much talent and there are so few roles,” Draper said. “I’m going to work hard to find a way around that problem.”

To increase the number of students who can participate, Draper has split characters with major roles, such as Hamlet, into smaller parts for multiple actors. Rehearsals for the play will begin after callbacks, and the show will take place at the Blackford Theater from October 25 to October 27.