Drowning Ophelia

Drowning Ophelia is a modern play by Rachel Luann Strayer incorporating music from Ambroise Thomas’ opera Hamlet.

Jane, the play’s protagonist, doesn’t know what to do with Ophelia, Shakespeare’s tragic character from Hamlet, who has taken up residence in Jane’s bathtub. Ophelia represents Jane’s subconscious and
delights in singing songs about death and valentines, which brings up memories of a brother Jane would rather forget.

As Jane’s past intrudes dangerously on her present, it becomes clear that Ophelia is not simply a character from Hamlet, but a long-forgotten messenger with a question from Jane’s own troubled mind:  How do you move on when reconciliation is not an option?

Drowning Ophelia is a dark comedy performed in one act about the long-term consequences of childhood abuse and a love letter to those who have suffered. There is always hope.

Discussion/Q & A with the cast, playwright, and mental health counselors will occur immediately after each performance.