Student-directed production of "Hamlet" to perform at Flandrau

English playwright William Shakespeare often unveiled his classic plays in the earthily-named Globe Theatre, but this month, his works are being performed among the outer-worldly cosmos at UA's Flaundrau planetarium.

English and theater arts senior Anne Heintz is directing a production of "Hamlet" inside the planetarium for her undergraduate honors thesis. It marks the first major production in the planetarium's history.

"We've done smaller performances like this before," said Michael Magee, Flandrau Planetarium operations manager. "This is the first time we've done a full, two-hour Shakespearean work."

The idea for the production, Heintz said, came from a research assignment on Shakespeare's connections to astronomy, which she exhibited at last year's Student Showcase.