Meme García on "house of sueños"

For generations, artists have been shaping and changing Shakespeare to fit their times. The best adaptations add specific textures of place and culture, or a fluidity of language that can take centuries-old work and make it brand new. Seattle Shakespeare Company is presenting one of those works: a Salvadoran-American adaptation of "Hamlet" called "house of sueños," by actor and playwright Meme García.

In "house of sueños," sisters Rina and Amelia prepare to celebrate Mom’s marriage to their new Stepdad. But when Amelia tells her sister of the mysterious voice and shadowy figure she saw in the attic last night, it becomes clear that not all in this house is as it seems.

García’s play is being released as a special five-episode series from the Seattle Shakespeare Company’s Rough Magic podcast. You can listen to it through March 17 wherever you get your podcasts or on the company’s website, https://www.seattleshakespeare.org/houseofsuenos/.

We talked to García about adapting Shakespeare, mental illness in Hamlet and in their own experiences, and how they crafted the language of their play. García is interviewed by Barbara Bogaev.

Meme García is a Fulbright Scholar with a Master’s degree in Classical Acting from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. As an actor, they have performed with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, upstart crow collective, and Seattle Shakespeare Company, among other theaters.

From the Shakespeare Unlimited podcast. Published March 2, 2021. © Folger Shakespeare Library. All rights reserved. This podcast episode, “What Dreams May Come,” was produced by Richard Paul. Garland Scott is the associate producer. It was edited by Gail Kern Paster. Ben Lauer is the web producer, with help from Leonor Fernandez. We had technical help from Andrew Feliciano and Evan Marquart at Voice Trax West in Studio City, California.