Though he’s considered a master of the written word now, even William Shakespeare had his less-than-outstanding first drafts. The first quarto of Hamlet is half as long and half as poetic as the version most recite today, so naturally, it’s stumped scholars and actors for centuries. The thrilling thespians from Taffety Punk Theatre Company aren’t ones to be dissuaded from a challenging text, so they’ve decided to stage a full production of the so-called “bad quarto.” In order to properly elevate the production, director Joel David Santner recruited local electro-pop act Beauty Pill to create original music for the production. With a different plot structure and additional scenes, this version might look unfamiliar from the outset, but give it a chance. There’s more to Hamlet than a brooding soliloquy and power-hungry schemers. The play runs April 30 to May 23 at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th St. SE. $15. (202) 355-9441. taffetypunk.com.