It’s easy to love ‘I Hate Hamlet’

Frank: I love Hamlet. Andrew hates Hamlet. But here’s something I know you’ll agree with: we both love "I Hate Hamlet."

Grace: Absolutely! This sparkling gem of theatrical fun is running at the Cornelia B. Stevenot Performing Arts Center at the Stevenot Winery, in rotation with "Twelfth Night." We’ll shortly reveal who Andrew is.

Frank: We could write a review in about six lines: actors — uniformly excellent; staging — very well done; lighting and sound — right on; costumes — the same; direction — first rate. Put all this together with a very funny script and you end up with a marvelous evening’s entertainment.

Grace: It would serve no purpose to single out one or two actors for their performances because they are all top-notch. Kyle Gundlach is appealing as Andrew Rally, a talent-challenged star of a TV series and a currently running commercial, who is being persuaded to play Hamlet in a production of that name to be presented at Shakespeare in the Park in New York.

Frank: His dread of this assignment causes him to blurt out the line that serves as the title of the play.

Grace: Andrew’s agent, the redoubtable, Germanic Lillian Troy (excellently portrayed by long-time local theater favorite, Sheila Doyle) and real estate broker Felicia Dantine, played with comic air-headedness and a terrific New York accent by Misty Day, try everything they can to persuade him to do the Hamlet gig. Felicia is also pressuring Andrew to rent what was once John Barrymore’s apartment. We shouldn’t forgot that she has an unlikely sideline as a medium in séances or that Lillian once had an affair with John Barrymore!

Frank: Another airhead is Dierdre McDavey (Tara Kayton), Andrew’s virginal 29-year-old girlfriend. Her character is as outrageous as Felicia’s.

Grace: What helps put her over the top as the consummate drama queen is her cape, used to hilarious effect, and her swooshing about the stage.

Frank: Then enters Allen Pontes playing the ghost of Barrymore, who through some strange supernatural agreement is charged with persuading and training Andrew to play Hamlet. His world-weariness (after all, he’s dead!) as Barrymore is touching, convincing, compassionate and funny all at the same time.

Grace: Last, but by no means least, we have Andrew’s egotistical Hollywood writer-producer-director, Gary Lefkowitz. This part calls for a broad comedic interpretation, which Josh Gren plays to the hilt.

Frank: After seeing him in "Twelfth Night" and now in this performance, he is rapidly becoming my favorite comic actor. If he doesn’t make you laugh, nothing will. Among other inanities, Gary is of the opinion that Lillian is a war criminal who should be featured in a 10-part PBS documentary on the holocaust.

Grace: Which leads us to the crowd-pleasing dialog. Gary gets to tell us that Shakespeare is like algebra on stage …

Frank: … the audience reaction to that comment seemed to indicate that most people there liked algebra about as much as you did …

Grace: … and that an actor is merely some English guy who couldn’t get a TV series. That sounds like you, but you can’t even act.

Frank: You can’t insult me — it’s already been done. What about Barrymore’s opinion that "tights make a star"? This, of course, led to some creative costuming. Anyone who has been to the Tower of London and viewed Henry VIII’s armor will know what I mean.

Grace: He also delivers another piece of advice about acting, to never confuse truth with asthma. This bit of cynicism arises as he watches Andrew’s manic warm-up routine.

Frank: In sharp contrast to this routine, the play’s action is so natural, even the sword-play, I forgot it was all choreographed. Coming from someone like me, that’s high praise. Rather embarrassing.

Grace: Well, then, we haven’t found much for you to complain about, but I’m sure you’ll come up with something.

Frank: Indeed I will: the size of the audience. "I Hate Hamlet" should be playing to sold-out audiences every time it’s performed. This is without a doubt one of the best, if not the best, productions that Murphys Creek Theatre has offered.

Grace: I couldn’t help but think "I Hate Hamlet" has appeared at just the right time, in just the right place, with just the right cast and crew. Don’t miss it.

(Forest Meadows residents Grace and Frank Muirhead are long-time members of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Grace — a former English teacher, technical editor and writer — is a member of Mur-phys’ Writers. Frank, a retired physics professor, is a self-described "rabid Shakespeare fan and language curmudgeon.")