"Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be"
~Ophelia, Hamlet Act 4, Scene 5
 

My name is Kristen Sandstrom, and I have been chosen to play two small roles (Bernardo & Reynaldo) in Hamlet. While these maybe small parts, I feel very honored to be a part of this production. Today, at rehearsal I was able to sit back and watch Noah (Hamlet), Marty (Claudius), Laura (Gertrude), Dave (Rosencrantz) and Jaime (GIldenstern) rehearse a good portion of Act Four. I know each of these people. I know they are all good, caring and talented individuals who believe in StageNorth and its community theater. What I didn't know was how during a simple rehearsal they would all have the power to suck me in! Watching the process of perfecting these scenes with the direction of Liz, I just felt luckier and luckier - a beautiful gift.

I am also part of the family who is sponsoring this show. We are sponsoring this show in memory of two very amazing women - Joyce Henry and Patricia Meier. These women are the reason I have been in love with literature since I was a young girl - specifically Shakespeare.

Patricia (known to me as Potsy) was my grandmother. She was an English teacher and a lover of words. She read me countless books as a child and proofread many papers for me as a student in high school and college. Joyce was Potsy's best friend; they went to graduate school together in Milwaukee. Joyce went on to become a professor of English (teaching Shakespeare) at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching English, she directed their Theater program, mounted over a dozen Shakespeare productions, published two books about Shakespeare and wrote her own one-woman show. Both of these women also shared a passion for Bayfield, Lake Superior and Madeline Island. Many many summers were spent vacationing on Madeline Island.

Both Joyce and Potsy loved Hamlet. I remember talking to both of them on various occasions about the beauty of this play. They would help me grasp the complexity and would listen to my younger perspective as well. They gave me an amazing gift. They shared their love for these words with me, and I so enjoy sharing this passion with this amazing cast and crew.

Potsy died following a battle with Alzheimer's in 2005. Joyce left us this past July from cancer. While they are not able to sit in the theater to enjoy this production, I am certain they will enjoy it. Needless to say, Hamlet's father may not be the only ghost at StageNorth in October.