2017 will serve fans of Oscar Isaac well, not only is he going to be in the new Star Wars film in December, but he will also be starring in the theater this summer. Isaac has been officially cast as Hamlet in the upcoming production at The Public Theater. Hamlet will be directed by Sam Gold, who won a Tony for Fun Home. 

Isaac is most well known for his role as rebel pilot Poe Dameron in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and he will reprise his role in the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but he is also no stranger to the theater. He has appeared in two Shakespearean plays at The Public Theater: as Proteus in Two Gentlemen of Verona in 2005, and as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet in 2007. He previously worked with Gold in 2011 in the play We Live Here by Zoe Kazan. Many fans adore Isaac for his emotional performances, so no doubt his take on the Danish prince will be stellar.

This particular production of Hamlet had its rough patches. It was originally supposed to be staged at the Polansky Shakespeare Center in Brooklyn, but the plans fell through. Gold cited artistic differences as the reason for his departure. Gold’s version of Hamlet was seen as a distinctly different adaptation of the play, and the director felt his vision was not fully supported. The news of his departure caused quite a stir, as tickets had already gone on sale, and some in the industry feared that it would be a symbolic blow for non-profit productions. However, the production did not vanish completely, and fans will have the chance to see Isaac on stage.

Tickets will go on sale to Public members on March 9th, and to the general public on March 30th. The play is set to run from June 20th to September 3rd.