Reading William Shakespeare can be intimidating for some, but acting in it can be downright scary.
For “I Hate Hamlet” protagonist Andrew Rally, it could be following his dreams that causes him the most stress. Last week, the college’s theater department debuted the show “I Hate Hamlet” in Buck Hall’s Weiss Theatre. The show revolves around protagonist Andrew Rally, who attempts to take on the role of Hamlet in New York City’s Central Park. Supporting characters include the ghost of John Barrymore, who tries to convince Rally he is right for the part, and Rally’s girlfriend. The show centers around Rally’s internal struggle of whether he should follow his dreams or listen to his girlfriend’s wishes.
Originally written in 1991 by Paul Rudnick, an American playwright, the show has since been performed across the country. The show, as performed on campus, is directed by Michael O’Neill and features six Lafayette students. The student actors include Belle LeGrand ’19, Brent Mitchell Knox ’19, Brian Brundage ’18, Luis Aviles ’18 and Meryl Hahne ’17. The stage managers for the production are students Chris VanBlargan ’18 and Matt Schuman ’20.
Before he saw “I Hate Hamlet,” April Ruff ‘19 had never seen any kind of show other than a musical.
“I didn’t know what to expect and I really loved it,” Ruff said. “It was extremely comical, action packed, and lighthearted which made the time fly by. I’d definitely recommend it for any sarcastic theater fans or anyone looking for a laugh.”
Performed in the black box theatre in Buck Hall, the show premiered last weekend but still has two more performances in store for those who haven’t seen it yet. The show will go on from Friday to Saturday beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 for the public, $5 for non-Lafayette students and $3 for Lafayette students.
Acid Mouthwash • Mar 14, 2017 at 3:29 pm
This write-up continues the long tradition of the Lafayette’s inability to cover theater.
The piece reads like a student who forgot he had a newspaper assignment, went to the show without taking notes, and gathered all he could about the play using his immediate surroundings. Why is Barrymore listed as a “Supporting Character?” Why is the female protagonist referred to as “Andrew’s Girlfriend?” Why name exactly FIVE of the SIX actors featured in the production? Where did the idea that “The show centers around Rally’s internal struggle of whether he should follow his dreams or listen to his girlfriend’s wishes” come from? It’s completely false! The show centers around Rally’s insecurity! There’s never any mention of his dreams or how his girlfriend’s wishes conflict with them!
This complete disregard for the basic premise, details, and history of the production are lazy journalism, sure, but the real icing on the cake is the “interview” with some random individual unconnected with the production. Half of the story is a quote from an unrelated showgoer who had literally never seen a play before. Why not interview Luis Aviles? Or Belle LeGrand? Or, heaven forbid, the director?
In short, I hope the Lafayette radically changes how they cover art on campus, and that their future reviews are, at the very least, factually correct.