It’d Be a Tragedy to Miss This Comedy at the Whidbey Playhouse
— Created April 12, 2026 by Samantha Goodman
It’d Be a Tragedy to Miss This Comedy at the Whidbey Playhouse
Theater Review and Photography by Jim Sovanski
I have the perfect concept for a play. Imagine this: A female actor landing the most famous male role of all time. In New York, on Broadway, no less. Then imagine her trying to decide if she can or even wants to do this role. After all, what could be more interesting to watch than a play about an actor trying to decide what to do about playing a character famous for trying to decide what to do? What’s not to love about that? What’s that you say? Said show already exists?
So it does. “Women Playing Hamlet,” now playing at the Whidbey Playhouse is that show. Written by William Missouri Downs, the show is billed as, “A comedy about a tragedy.” On the face of it, that’s a pretty absurd concept, isn’t it? But If you’re going to do a comedy about a tragedy, it’s best to pick a tragedy ripe with comedic possibilities, say Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” After all, it’s only four hours long, there are plot holes everywhere, the main character is a famously indecisive neurotic and nearly everyone dies in the end! Hilarious!
Our story begins with Jessica, intrepidly played by Trinity Slowick, a young actress in New York City. She has landed the role of a lifetime, playing Shakespeare’s Hamlet on Broadway. There is only one problem. She is nearly paralyzed by doubt and insecurity at taking on such an iconic role. Fueling her self-doubt, it seems her fate is to be constantly reminded of her inadequacies. Everyone she meets has a BFA from a more prestigious school than she has; they also remind her she’s too young for the role: and to top it off, somehow she’s managed to tick-off the great Shakespearian actor, Sir Patrick Stewart. Even her acting coach continually questions her ability, commitment and readiness to play Hamlet. To play or not to play? That is her question.
Director Kevin Wm Meyer says, “this show is not just a funny story about a young woman who’s not sure if she’s ready to play Hamlet or not. It’s about the moment we all face in making choices in our lives. Seizing those opportunities that come along. Having faith in ourselves. Not letting other people tell us what we can or can’t do because of our gender, ethnicity, religion, height, weight and a million other degrees of judgement the world is ready to throw at us.”
On playing the indecisive heroine, Jessica, Slowick shared her thoughts, “I have always loved Shakespeare, so of course, seeing a title with Hamlet in the name caught my attention. Once I read the script itself, I knew I had to audition. I was blown away by how funny it was. I remember when I first read it, I laughed to myself the entire way through. I also love the parallelism between both ‘Women Playing Hamlet’ and ‘Hamlet.’ Many of the scenes in our show take place in a similar fashion to the ones in Hamlet. Of course, the key difference being our show is a comedy, while Hamlet tragically is not.”
She continues, “Jessica is the first character I’ve played that I truly connected with. She’s an actor who feels lost in the grand scheme of life, constantly taking on whatever role comes her way until she begins to lose sight of who she really is. This play is unique in the fact that not only do I talk with the audience, but I get to do improvisation with them as well. I have never been in a show like this before. No two shows will be the same because the audience’s reaction will change each time.”
Kim Dolan, as Jessica’s acting coach Gwen, brings a different perspective. Gwen “is a much larger part than I had anticipated or that I have ever played before. As I looked more at the script, I came to like the role more and more. It gives me a chance to be more flamboyant than my usual life and yet be able to impart wisdom.”
For an actor, one of the fun components of this show is the need to play multiple characters. As Actor #1 playing four very different parts, Katie Jones observed, “I liked the idea of playing multiple characters in one play. As much as I feel like it’s a bit torturous I like pushing myself to become different people. I identify with the Minnesota mom the most, as I too embarrass my own children often by my actions.”
Every show has a supporting character that, in the right hands, can steal the show. The bartender and gravedigger parts are those characters. Both, played by Julianna Boszik, truly come to life in her hands. Her accents and comic timing are a joy to behold.
To see the show or not see the show? That is your question. My answer…see the show!
“Women Playing Hamlet” at the Whidbey Playhouse opens Friday, April 10th at 7:30 PM and runs weekends through May 3rd. Tickets are $25. Evening shows are at 7:30 PM and matinee performances are at 2:30 PM. The Whidbey Playhouse is located at 730 SE Midway Blvd. in Oak Harbor. Ticket sales and further information at www.whidbeyplayhouse.com or call the box office at 360 679-2237. Box office hours are Tuesday-Friday 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM.