By Sarah McVean/nw news editor
Theatre Northwest takes a new spin on Shakespeare with I Hate Hamlet, opening tonight.
The play is based on Andrew Rally’s attempts to prove all one needs to do to be a good actor is perform in a Shakespearean play. He moves to New York City, where a real estate agent talks him into leasing John Barrymore’s apartment.
Dave Trosko plays Andrew, a famous actor with problems.
“Andrew is a very frustrated fellow,” he said. “He has a ton of job offers in L.A., and basically the whole show is about him learning his love of Shakespeare.”
The play also is a love story between Andrew and Deirdre.
Trosko who has been acting for 10 years is currently attending UNT, but was told about auditions by Dr. T.J. Walsh, his former theater professor and director of the play.
Felicia Dantine, Andrew’s real estate agent, believes she is psychic. She is played by Brigette Marquardt, TCC student.
“She is a character I have always wanted to play,” she said. “She is kind of a loud mouth real estate agent who thinks she’s psychic, but completely changes by the end of the play.”
Felicia has always wanted to go to L.A. and is kind of fake Hollywood, Marquardt said. Her hook up is Gary, a sleazy L.A. producer who is a Hollywood type guy.
“Felicia thinks she brought the ghost of Barrymore back, she really didn’t, but it’s fun watching her think she did,” she said.
Portrayed by Alex Chrestopou-lous, John Barrymore, a famous actor from the 1920s through the 1940s, played Hamlet on Broadway,
“He is one of the more quintessential Hamlets,” he said. “He is dead, of course, when this play takes place, but his ghost comes back to help Andrew play Hamlet.”
Chrestopoulous has been a theater teacher on the NW Campus for fours years. He has also taught drama at UNT, Southern Illinois University and Georgia Southern University.
“Barrymore is trying to get Andrew to play Hamlet, but Andrew is absolutely reluctant to do so and doesn’t think he can,” he said. “Andrew just doesn’t understand Shakespeare.”
Chrestopoulous said Andrew’s career has been shaped around daytime television while Barrymore was a movie star who performed in several Shakespeare plays.
“Barrymore just doesn’t understand why Andrew would not want or feel honored to play the role,” he said.
Lillian Troy, Andrew’s agent, is an older German woman who actually had an affair with Barrymore back in the day. She and Andrew are the only ones who can see his ghost. In the NW Campus production, Terry Bacon plays Lillian.
“I helped him get the role of Hamlet for Shakespeare in the Park, so I’m rooting for him and helping take care of business,” she said.
Bacon has been an English professor on NW Campus for three years and previously taught at Daytona Beach Community College.
Besides directing, Walsh has a personal interest in the play.
“The play looks at a young television star who decides to act the role of Hamlet at Shakespeare in the Park in New York City and how he enlists the help of the Ghost of John Barrymore, the great American actor to help him with the most daunting role in the English language,” he said. “I’m looking to direct Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the future and thought it would be fun to work on this play as a precursor.”
Walsh has been teaching 25 years and is a professor at TCU. Brent Alford, NW fine arts department chair, hired him to direct the play. He taught acting and directed several plays for three years on NW Campus before joining the TCU theater department.
“It has been great fun,” he said. “I Hate Hamlet is very funny and in a clever way gives insight into acting and Shakespeare’s Hamlet.”
I Hate Hamlet runs through Sunday, Dec. 2, in Theatre Northwest (WTLO 1108). Performances are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $6 for general public, $3 for seniors and non-TCC students and free for TCC students, faculty and staff. For reservations, call 817-515-7724.
I Hate Hamlet
NW Campus
Showtimes:
Wednesday-Saturday 7:30 p.m.
Sunday Matinees 2:00 p.m.
Box Office: 817-515-7724
General Admission: $6
Non TCC Students/Seniors: $3
TCC Students and Staff: Free
