Waldron to present twist of 'Hamlet'

For lovers of Shakespeare, the John Waldron Arts Center's latest play could be considered either sacrilege or genius. "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" is a comedic twist on the Bard's classic tragedy, "Hamlet." \nThe play, which reworks "Hamlet" through the eyes of two minor characters, will open this weekend at the Center's Auditorium and will run through next weekend. \n"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" was written in 1966 by Tom Stoppard, whose Shakespearean achievements were recognized with a shared Oscar for the screenplay of "Shakespeare in Love." Lauded by critics as brilliant and performed regularly at local theaters and large venues, the play has seen continual popularity.\nTerence Hartnett, founder of Detour Productions, which is co-producing this performance, said he and director Mike Price chose this play for its comedic value and because of Price's background with the now-defunct Indiana Shakespeare Company.\n"The simple answer is: By God, we wanted to do a comedy, because the last four shows have been really dramatic stuff," Hartnett said. "We like stuff with an edge. We're not going to do 'You're a Good Man Charlie Brown' or Neil Simon or anything."\nDetour Productions puts on plays with casts that differ from the usual Bloomington theater scene in one major aspect: The main actors' college days are behind them.\n"We can do things that, for example, the University can't do," Hartnett said. "We can cast a 50-year-old part with a 50-year-old actor."\nThe cast of about 15 actors -- some students, some older professionals -- has been rehearsing for about two months. The play has been in the works for nearly a year as the fifth of six plays in the Waldron's theater season, the next of which will be "Love's Fire," Waldron Arts Center spokesman Luis Roncayolo said.\nThis play's attraction for actor Steve Heise, who plays Rosencrantz, was its depth and humor.\n"I'm still trying to figure that out. It's a comedy about death. I can't even call it a tragedy 'cause it's really a comedy. A comedy about tragedy," Heise said. "We're characters. Once the play ends, we're done. Is that dead, or is that done?"\nHartnett said "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern" turns Shakespeare's play inside-out.\n"It's in some sense, a comic inversion of Hamlet. For instance, in Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are these tiny characters. It's basically their backstory," Hartnett said. "It hasn't been performed in town … for decades. It's extraordinarily funny. We have a very strong cast."\nHeise said the play has something for everyone. \n"It's a wonderful piece of theater," he said. "There's laughter, there's tears, there's clowns, there's death -- what more do you want"