I Hate Hamlet now running at The Phoenix Theatre through April 30, 2023
Sunday, April 9, 2023
THE QUESTION IS WHO YOU WANT TO BE… OR NOT BE.
The Phoenix Theatre is once again offering up a comedic twist on a classic!
Start your spring off right with a masterclass on the fear of live performance with I Hate Hamlet, through April 30, 2023.
Director Keith Dahlgren says "This is a play about the joy of theatre and performance, as well as the fear of it – and the fear is real. Anyone who has performed knows the dread of missing your cue, forgetting your lines, or looking like a wooden puppet up there in front of a crowd of people.”
Andrew Rally seems to have it all: celebrity and acclaim from his starring role in a hit television series; a rich, beautiful girlfriend; a devoted agent; the perfect New York apartment; and the chance to play Hamlet in Central Park.
There are, however, a couple of glitches in paradise.
Andrew’s series has been canceled; his girlfriend is clinging to her virginity with unyielding conviction; and he has no desire to play Hamlet.
When Andrew’s agent reminisces about her brief romance with John Barrymore many years ago in Andrew’s apartment. This prompts a seance to summon his ghost.
From the moment Barrymore returns, dressed in high Shakespearean garb, Andrew’s life is no longer his own. Barrymore, fortified by champagne and ego, presses Andrew to accept the part and fulfill his actor’s destiny.
The action becomes more complicated with the entrance of Andrew’s deal-making friend from LA, offering Andrew a fabulous new TV deal worth millions of dollars. The laughs compound as Andrew wrestles with his conscience, his sword, a wild Barrymore spirit, and his fear of failing as Hamlet in Central Park.
Director Keith Dahlgren says "This is a play about the joy of theatre and performance, as well as the fear of it – and the fear is real. Anyone who has performed knows the dread of missing your cue, forgetting your lines, or looking like a wooden puppet up there in front of a crowd of people.”
However, I Hate Hamlet also communicates the beauty of the shared experience of live performance. “The thrill of getting a laugh… the silence of an audience as they listen closely… the warmth of applause.
After the previous three years of the pandemic, we need to gather together for this shared experience,” Dahlgren continued, “It’s pretty easy to direct, [the actors] all understand what they need to do and are having fun. So sit back and be transported to the 1990s and enjoy yourself!"
I Hate Hamlet, by Paul Rudnick, is directed by Keith Dahlgren and produced with permission of Dramatist Play Service, Inc.
- April 7 - April 30
- Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm
- Sundays at 2pm
- The theater will be closed on Sunday, April 9th
- Purchase tickets here
- Adults $25.00
- Seniors 55+ / Students / US Military and Veterans $20.00
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