This project report examines the Troubadour theater company, their inspirations, and their relationship to other contemporary media. The Troubadour's production of William Shakespeare's Hamlet produced in collaboration with the California Repertory Company will serve as a catalyst for this discussion. Hamlet the Artist Formerly known as the Prince of Denmark was directed by Matt Walker and performed by the CalRep company in Long Beach California in March 2009. Past theatrical movements will be explored in order to assist in the definition of the Troubadour's theatrical genre. In addition, comparisons will be made to contemporary artists who seem to share their stylistic perspective.

Chapter 1 is an introduction to our particular design process. Chapter 2 examines the Troubadours relation to various forms of popular theater including Circus and Vaudeville. Chapter 3 describes the influence of Brechtian theater and the Absurdist movement. Conclusions and summaries can be found in Chapter 4.