MY BROOKLYN HAMLET: A MODERN DAY TRAGEDY TOLD THROUGH A DAUGHTER’S EYE.

 “My Brooklyn Hamlet: A Meshugenah True Story” of Love, Murder, Betrayal, and Forgiveness written and performed by solo artist Brenda Adelman is currently being streamed as a co-production of Scripps Ranch Theatre and Oceanside Theatre Company through Monday May 3rd at noon. 

                        Courtesy Scripps Ranch/ Oceanside Theatre Co.

Adelman, now a Spiritualist Psychologist weaves her tragic/comic journey (more like a Greek tragedy) through her growing up years in Mill Basin section of Brooklyn the daughter a Jewish ‘Guido’ father and Bohemian artist mother, Barbara, who was intrigued with Shakespeare. Adelman takes on the persona of Mother, Father, Brother and assorted friends with ease and enthusiasm that easily draws us into her family drama without our even realizing it. 

Her story traces her growing up years, her parent’s rocky relationship, and her travels with her mother and undying love for her father. But when  he shot her mother point blank in the head in 1995, copped a plea and spent two years in prison never admitting to or telling Brenda the truth about her mother’s death she was ready to jump the love boat. The piece de resistance came when her father married her mother’s sister. That was it for Brenda. While she knew that her father was a womanizer she never thought he would pull off something like this with her own aunt!

Most of us have our Shakespearean or unspoken secrets hidden beneath the recesses of our memories but in “My Brooklyn Hamlet”, she lets them all out to air bringing the characters close enough for all to see the comparisons of the troubled Hamlet. 

Directed by Charles Peters with Ted Leib as cinematographer ‘MBH’ is worthy of a look see. 

Adelman, who is so natural on stage with only a few articles of clothing to change character’s is a master storyteller and she does it all in sixty minutes. She’s engaging, funny, somewhat a tragic figure yet one always has the feeling that she is a survivor. 

She received a Best Actress nomination at the Orlando and San Diego Fringe Festival. She is the recipient of a Hero of Forgiveness award from The Hawaii International Forgiveness Project.

 “My Brooklyn Hamlet…” ends on a ppositive note for Brenda, her family and the audience and becomes a life’s lesson in forgiveness, love and acceptance.  

For more information visit: www.scrippsranchtheatre.org

 www.oceansidetheatre.org