I Hate Hamlet

"I Hate Hamlet" is a dramatic comedy written in 1990 by Paul Rudnick. Set in John Barrymore's old apartment in New York City - at the time, the author's real-life home - the play follows successful television actor Andrew Rally as he struggles with taking on the dream role of Hamlet, dealing with a girlfriend who is keeping a firm grip on her chastity, and playing host to the ghost of John Barrymore, who, clothed as Hamlet, has come back to earth for the sole purpose of convincing Rally to play the part.cite web|url=http://www.tspinc.org/IHateHamlet/Synopsis.html|title=I Hate Hamlet Plot Summary|accessdate=2007-12-13|author=Townsquare Players]

Barrymore proves to be very convincing (challenging Andrew to a sword fight in the middle of the New York loft), and Andrew decides to play Hamlet. But when a Hollywood friend shows up offering Andrew a new role in a television pilot, with a potentially large salary and fame, Andrew is forced to choose between Shakespeare, whom his "girlfriend" loves, or television, where "he" is loved by millions.cite web|url=http://www.tspinc.org/IHateHamlet/Synopsis.html|title=I Hate Hamlet Plot Summary|accessdate=2007-12-13|author=Townsquare Players]

Plus, Andrew's performance as Hamlet is somewhat less than satisfactory.

Published by Dramatists Play Service, Inc., the play was originally produced on Broadway in the Walter Kerr Theatre, opening on April 8, 1991.cite web|url=http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=4638|title=I Hate Hamlet from the Internet Broadway Database|accessdate=2007-12-13|author=IBDb] The lead role of Andrew Rally was played by Evan Handler. The cast of the show includes three women and three men.

Controversy

Nicol Williamson, who played the role of John Barrymore in the initial Broadway production, was notoriously mercurial, and gradually alienated most of his fellow cast and crewmembers. This animosity culminated in an injury to co-star Evan Handler during an onstage sword fight. Handler subsequently left the production.

Paul Rudnick later detailed the deterioration of his relationship with Williamson in a 2008 article for the New Yorker cite web|url=http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/12/24/071224fa_fact_rudnick|title=Paul Rudnick's New Yorker article on the production (abstract only)|accessdate=2008-01-06|author=The New Yorker|] .

External links

* [http://www.tspinc.org/IHateHamlet/Synopsis.html Play Synopsis: I Hate Hamlet]
* [http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/dallas/dallas40.html Talkin's Broadway Reviews: I Hate Hamlet]
* [http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=4638 I Hate Hamlet] at the Internet Broadway Database
* [http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/12/24/071224fa_fact_rudnick Paul Rudnick's The New Yorker article on the production]

References

Primary sources

*Rudnick, Paul. "I Hate Hamlet". New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 1992. (Hard Copy of Play)
*Rudnick, Paul. Personal History, "I Hit Hamlet," The New Yorker, December 24, 2007, p. 82

Notes