“I’m at the point in my career that I’m exclusively celebrating the different, the new, the up-and-coming in theatre… and Fringe feels like the heart of that.”
WHO: Ashley Amodeo
WHAT: “When the ghost of her father returns seeking revenge, Hamlet has to choose: play along, or break the cycle? When she makes her choice, the ghost makes his and haunts her coat. Crownless fuses Shakespeare’s text with contemporary female poetry in a bold exploration of grief and power. It’s a ghost story, a coming-of-age tale and a stylish love letter to saying ‘no’. With sharp dialogue, unexpected laughs and a coat full of unresolved trauma, this show walks the line between comedy and heartbreak. If you’ve ever argued with a parent’s voice in your head, this one’s for you.”
WHERE: studio at C ARTS | C venues | C aquila (Venue 21)
WHEN: 12:30 (50 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
It is! I’ve always been so fascinated by Fringe for a long time, and I’m so excited to be bringing this show there. Being an actor in New York, it’s one of those things you think “well maybe some day…” for so long. So this really is a dream come true for me. I also think I’m at the point in my career that I’m exclusively celebrating the different, the new, the up-and-coming in theatre… and Fringe feels like the heart of that. I’m honored to be a part of it.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
2023 was the year I learned to stop saying no to myself.
There were a lot of things that year that I thought I couldn’t do, but decided to do anyway. I learned that I don’t need some sort of “you’re ready” certificate to do something… I should just be doing it.
But as for fully absorbing that?
I think that will be a lifelong journey. Being a creative is a constant battle between chasing what you want to do and also doubting if you can do it. But I’m trying everyday to just tell myself “you can do this!” Because if you can’t tell yourself that, will you ever believe it from anyone else?
Tell us about your show.
I’m the writer and performer of the play! I moved here from Brooklyn to get my masters, and part of my course was to write a solo show. But when I had the idea for the play back in 2023, I basically turned myself down right away and said “I can’t write that.”
3 months later, I went back to the idea and just wrote it. (I say that like it was easy… it was a long and scary process.) When I performed it, I was shocked at how well received it was by my peers, my teachers, and the school as a whole. It’s now featured in the advertisement for the school’s postgraduate acting program. I then approached the MA course director, asking if she would like to direct it for Fringe… and she replied “Well, I was just about to tell you that I’m retiring… so let’s do it!”
The show is a one-woman Hamlet, told from the perspective of the Ghost of Hamlet’s Father. It’s modernized, so instead of being royalty, the family are well known writers. When Hamlet Sr. is killed by his brother, he goes to the garden and wait for his daughter, Hamlet, but she never shows up. So he decides he has to find a way to talk to her without her freaking her out too much… and ends up haunting her coat. What follows is a deep dive into their family dynamic, lots of scheming from both of the Hamlets, and a bunch of modern female poetry!
Interwoven within the text from Shakespeare’s Hamlet are excerpts of poetry from contemporary poets Leland Bardwell, Emily Dickinson, Tess Gallagher, Louise Glück, Amanda Gorman, Jane Hirshfield, Denise Levertov, Sylvia Plath, & Maya C. Popa.
The show is being produced by C-Arts for one week this Fringe, from August 18-24 at C-Aquila Studio @ 12:30 PM.
Afterwards, it will be appearing at Voila! Festival in London this November with Etcetera Theatre!
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
So many things!
A fellow actor in my agency, Sam MacGregor will be in Hold the Line with the Pleasance for the whole of Fringe. (Shout out to our agent, Nathalie Bazan!)
Also check out After Shakespeare with Slade Wolfe Enterprises Limited, Timonopoly with Brite Theater, and Shakespeare for Breakfast with C Theatre!
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Get Your Coats On 