Index of University Press Releases

Mar. 19, 2009

DWU Theatre produces “I Hate Hamlet”

MITCHELL – The DWU Theatre Department is hosting a production of “I Hate Hamlet,” by Paul Rudnick at the Pepsi-Cola Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Productions are at 7:30 p.m. on March 27 and 28, at 2 p.m. on March 29, at 7:30 p.m. on April 3 and 4, and at 2 p.m. on April 5. Tickets are available at the Antiques Mall in downtown Mitchell.

“This is a hilarious and beautiful play about the glory of Shakespeare and how it changed a man’s life,” said Dan Miller, the director of the play and assistant professor of theatre.

Cast in the play are Trisha Schleich, Mitchell; Seth LaBounty, Mitchell, Neb.; Ben Floyd, Sioux Falls; Kerrie Roozen, Spearfish; Melissa Tafoya, Pueblo, Colo.; and Melody Howell, Sherman, Texas. The stage manager is Jessica Phillips, Mitchell.

The story line is that Andrew Rally, played by Floyd, seems to have it all: celebrity and acclaim from his starring role in a hit television series; a rich, beautiful girlfriend; a glamorous, 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 visits him, she reminisces about her brief romance with John Barrymore many years ago, in Andrew's apartment. This prompts a séance 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 hilarious with the entrance of Andrew's deal-making friend from Los Angeles, spouting the laid-back hype of the Coast and offering Andrew a fabulous new TV deal worth millions of dollars. The laughs are nonstop as Andrew wrestles with his conscience, Barrymore, his sword and the fact that he fails as Hamlet in Central Park.