Hamlet certainly knows what it is to grapple with self-doubt. In Mountain Community Theater’s production of Paul Rudnick’s I Hate Hamlet, the actor behind tragedy’s greatest hero does, too.
For a two-week run starting this Friday, a talented cast and dedicated crew at the Mountain Community Theater bring to life this “ghostly comedy” about love, ambition, money and, yes, Shakespeare. During a break between busy rehearsals, director Steve Brenner explains why he has wanted to put it on for some time. “It’s abut acting; it explains the fire that drives people to be actors,” Brenner says. He particularly enjoys the play because of its humor, clever dialogue and dueling scene.
I Hate Hamlet features a reluctant hero, the TV star Andrew Rally (Shane Johnson), who begins to have second thoughts about his big break of playing the ultimate tragic hero in New York City’s famous Shakespeare in the Park. Fortunately for Rally, the swordfighting ghost of John Barrymore (Michael LaMère), one of the greatest Hamlets the stage has ever seen, attempts to convince Rally that it was worth leaving L.A. and his devoutly virginal, Shakespeare-obsessed girlfriend to perform the role of a lifetime. The cast also includes local talents Jessica Alder, Lee Ann Gray, Marty Lee Jones and Rita Wadsworth.
Brenner says that it’s not at all necessary for an audience member to be familiar with the original drama to enjoy I Hate Hamlet. Rather than another Hamlet, he explains, the piece is “a hilarious look at someone reaching for greatness while grappling with self-doubt.”
I HATE HAMLET opens Friday, April 29 at Mountain Community Theater, 9370 Mill St, Ben Lomond. Fridays and Saturdays 8pm through May 14; Sunday, May 8 at 2pm. Tickets $16-$20. www.mctshows.org.
