I Hate Hamlet
September 2007
September 2007
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'I Hate Hamlet' brings theater back to the basics
BY: SUSAN ZEDELLA
After attending opening night of Guerilla Theatre's "I Hate Hamlet," I am convinced Guerilla is one of Wilmington's best-kept secrets.
Admittedly, I love the extravagant spectacle that sometimes happens onstage at a live theater performance. Productions such as "The
Lion King" have major appeal with their breathtaking costume and set design. However, this is a far cry from the true foundation of
theater, as it was begun by the Greeks.
It is back to this foundation that Guerilla Theatre has successfully produced shows of a different caliber. Founder Richard Davis stated,
"We have the actor, the story and the stage…Maybe we can help bring it back to what's important." The result, in this case, is delightful,
as the characters of "I Hate Hamlet" are portrayed by a small but mighty ensemble.
As pointed out by Angela Kennedy in her director's note, the characters in this play may seem all-too familiar to many Guerilla Theater
patrons—the agent, the actor, the supportive-inspiring ingenue girlfriend and the crazy writer-producer-director. To top it all off, the story
then throws the ghost of John Barrymore into the mix. Richard Davis takes on this role with a brilliant demanor descriptive of the famed
actor: charming, womanizing and indulgent in his over-imbibing ways. Davis performs one of my favorite scenes when he bashes the
misconception that a good actor must overact, using asthmatic wheezes and groans while reciting Shakespeare.
While I wanted to hate Barrymore for being such a man-whore, I couldn't. His will to help fellow actor Andrew Rally, played by Joel
Hodge, is too great. Barrymore strives to help Andrew not only live, but to passionately exist. This relationship is accentuated by the great
chemistry between Davis and Hodge. The two even perform a fun and very well-choreographed scene of stage combat, wherein
Barrymore challenges Andrew to a classic "en garde"-style duel, and Andrew realizes that perhaps it is really his own demons that he is
battling.
The cast is further accentuated by its female members, including Sarah Giarratana as Felicia Dantine, the Manhattan real-estate broker.
Right away Giarratana establishes a Fran Drescher-ish throaty laugh as her character's trademark. She also speaks though her
character's subtle gestures and eyebrow lifts, even when her character is not verbally saying anything at all. I found Felicia's resounding
positive attitude to be very likable, even though her fashion sense is horrendous, marked by garish 1980's style animal prints and tacky
colors.
Further delving into the world of bad fashion sense is Lucy Spain as Deirdre McDavey. Deirdre first appears in a flurry of pastels, ruffles
and flowers. However, the audience soon learns that this is an accurate reflection of her personality. In an attempt to break Deirdre from
the chastity that she so fiercely protects, her boyfriend, Andrew, tells her, "Even Laura Ashley had sex." Deirdre regards everything having
to do with Barrymore in wide-eyed wonder, as she is completely enamored with the very thought of him. Spain portrays Deirdre
genuinely; her romantic, perfect world seemed very real to her, despite the fact that even those who are close to her are not sure how
they are supposed to fit into it.
The first-place award for tacky apparel goes to John Krevins, who plays Gary Lefkowitz, the television producer friend of Andrew. Gary
has the most hideous costumes of all, first appearing in Miami Vice white-polyester pants and shoes, a blue geometric-patterned shirt,
and a thick gold chain that is displayed by the unbuttoned collar. It is Gary who has the guts to admit what many people do not, for fear
that they will be perceived as less than intellectual: He does not see the value in Shakespeare—nor in live theater, for that matter. He
treats the urge to perform theater like an illness; something that must be purged or medicated. Herein, the audience sees the
antagonistic force emerge, as Andrew must work through the compulsion to create art only to gain monetary wealth.
One of the elements I most enjoyed about the show is author Paul Rudnick's recognition that there is no need to fill the audience
members in on superfluous background information. The plot has been penned with the idea that we all know who Shakespeare is, and
we all know who Hamlet is. Even the most devoted lover of Shakespeare knows that reaching a level of understanding in his plays can
require time and effort, especially for an actor. Therefore, Rudnick is able to focus on the characters of the play, driving the action forward
at a fast pace.
Perhaps one of the only undesirable parts of the show is its location. The Speakeasy at the Soapbox is in a basement, so it felt like I
was sitting in… well, a basement. Wooden beams block the stage somewhat, and music from the Soapbox is audible. The actors do,
however, make the best of this space. Strangely enough, it even seems appropriate for this particular play.
To see what I mean, make sure to get a ticket to one of Guerilla Theatre's remaining productions of "I Hate Hamlet," September 27th-
29th. Tickets are $10.
BY: SUSAN ZEDELLA
After attending opening night of Guerilla Theatre's "I Hate Hamlet," I am convinced Guerilla is one of Wilmington's best-kept secrets.
Admittedly, I love the extravagant spectacle that sometimes happens onstage at a live theater performance. Productions such as "The
Lion King" have major appeal with their breathtaking costume and set design. However, this is a far cry from the true foundation of
theater, as it was begun by the Greeks.
It is back to this foundation that Guerilla Theatre has successfully produced shows of a different caliber. Founder Richard Davis stated,
"We have the actor, the story and the stage…Maybe we can help bring it back to what's important." The result, in this case, is delightful,
as the characters of "I Hate Hamlet" are portrayed by a small but mighty ensemble.
As pointed out by Angela Kennedy in her director's note, the characters in this play may seem all-too familiar to many Guerilla Theater
patrons—the agent, the actor, the supportive-inspiring ingenue girlfriend and the crazy writer-producer-director. To top it all off, the story
then throws the ghost of John Barrymore into the mix. Richard Davis takes on this role with a brilliant demanor descriptive of the famed
actor: charming, womanizing and indulgent in his over-imbibing ways. Davis performs one of my favorite scenes when he bashes the
misconception that a good actor must overact, using asthmatic wheezes and groans while reciting Shakespeare.
While I wanted to hate Barrymore for being such a man-whore, I couldn't. His will to help fellow actor Andrew Rally, played by Joel
Hodge, is too great. Barrymore strives to help Andrew not only live, but to passionately exist. This relationship is accentuated by the great
chemistry between Davis and Hodge. The two even perform a fun and very well-choreographed scene of stage combat, wherein
Barrymore challenges Andrew to a classic "en garde"-style duel, and Andrew realizes that perhaps it is really his own demons that he is
battling.
The cast is further accentuated by its female members, including Sarah Giarratana as Felicia Dantine, the Manhattan real-estate broker.
Right away Giarratana establishes a Fran Drescher-ish throaty laugh as her character's trademark. She also speaks though her
character's subtle gestures and eyebrow lifts, even when her character is not verbally saying anything at all. I found Felicia's resounding
positive attitude to be very likable, even though her fashion sense is horrendous, marked by garish 1980's style animal prints and tacky
colors.
Further delving into the world of bad fashion sense is Lucy Spain as Deirdre McDavey. Deirdre first appears in a flurry of pastels, ruffles
and flowers. However, the audience soon learns that this is an accurate reflection of her personality. In an attempt to break Deirdre from
the chastity that she so fiercely protects, her boyfriend, Andrew, tells her, "Even Laura Ashley had sex." Deirdre regards everything having
to do with Barrymore in wide-eyed wonder, as she is completely enamored with the very thought of him. Spain portrays Deirdre
genuinely; her romantic, perfect world seemed very real to her, despite the fact that even those who are close to her are not sure how
they are supposed to fit into it.
The first-place award for tacky apparel goes to John Krevins, who plays Gary Lefkowitz, the television producer friend of Andrew. Gary
has the most hideous costumes of all, first appearing in Miami Vice white-polyester pants and shoes, a blue geometric-patterned shirt,
and a thick gold chain that is displayed by the unbuttoned collar. It is Gary who has the guts to admit what many people do not, for fear
that they will be perceived as less than intellectual: He does not see the value in Shakespeare—nor in live theater, for that matter. He
treats the urge to perform theater like an illness; something that must be purged or medicated. Herein, the audience sees the
antagonistic force emerge, as Andrew must work through the compulsion to create art only to gain monetary wealth.
One of the elements I most enjoyed about the show is author Paul Rudnick's recognition that there is no need to fill the audience
members in on superfluous background information. The plot has been penned with the idea that we all know who Shakespeare is, and
we all know who Hamlet is. Even the most devoted lover of Shakespeare knows that reaching a level of understanding in his plays can
require time and effort, especially for an actor. Therefore, Rudnick is able to focus on the characters of the play, driving the action forward
at a fast pace.
Perhaps one of the only undesirable parts of the show is its location. The Speakeasy at the Soapbox is in a basement, so it felt like I
was sitting in… well, a basement. Wooden beams block the stage somewhat, and music from the Soapbox is audible. The actors do,
however, make the best of this space. Strangely enough, it even seems appropriate for this particular play.
To see what I mean, make sure to get a ticket to one of Guerilla Theatre's remaining productions of "I Hate Hamlet," September 27th-
29th. Tickets are $10.