Paul Rudnick's

I Hate Hamlet

Summary:

Director: Bill Griffith

Andrew Rally 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 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 hilarious with the entrance of Andrew’s deal-making friend from LA, 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.  

Actors must be available for the entire tech week December 1st-4th and for all performance dates December 4th-14th, NO EXCEPTIONS. 

Characters

Performers of ALL ethnicities, physical abilities, and gender identities are encouraged to audition. 

Andrew Rally (Lead): Male 20s-30s
a young actor just back to New York from California after coming off of a leading role in a hot television show that's left his career in a lull; now cast as Hamlet, Andrew must (reluctantly) navigate the challenges of taking on the greatest of roles while also wooing his romantic life out of limbo...all with a little supernatural help.

John Barrymore (Lead): Male, 30s-60s
the ghost of the famous actor, returned to help Andrew prepare for the role of Hamlet; a gleeful, grandiose, lusty, witty, and wise Shakespearean actor; a larger-than-life yet still profoundly true encapsulation of the theater, but not without his demons.

Deidre McDavey (Supporting) Female 20s-30s
Andrew's girlfriend and an actress; beautiful and youthful for her age; she's hopelessly romantic, bright-eyed and full of wonder, and maybe a bit naive; she absolutely believes love is as incredible as it's supposed to be, and as a result she's a twenty-nine-year-old virgin saving herself until she's completely sure everything's right--much to Andrew's chagrin.

Gary Peter Lefkowitz (Supporting) Male 20s - 30s
a writer-producer-director from L.A.; Andrew's friend and his director from his hit TV show; not one for high art, Gary is much more concerned with "the biz" and making money than he is with anything else; he is proud and fast-paced; he doesn't really understand why anyone would do Shakespeare, especially not when there's a new TV show waiting to be made.

Felicia Dantine (Supporting) Female 25 - 50
Andrew's confident and savvy real-estate broker; a smart businesswoman who also professes to be a psychic medium, and is a bit of a weirdo. Looking for a Brooklyn or Jersey accent.

Lillian Troy (Supporting): Female 60-80
Andrew's agent; a senior German woman, possibly with serious respiratory health concerns; decades ago she had a fling with Barrymore in the apartment in which Andrew now lives; German-American accent required for performance, but not auditions.

Audition Information:

When: Saturday October 4th from 9am- 12pm.

The show will run Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from December 4th-14th.

What: Auditions will consist of cold reads from the script. 

Where: Ghostlight Theatre, 13541 West Camino Del Sol, Sun City West, AZ 85375.

Video auditions can be sent to  admin@ghostlightaz.com and will be accepted until end of day October 3rd for anyone who cannot attend in person. 

For questions, please email us at productionmanager@ghostlightaz.com.

Callbacks will be held by invitation TBD.