No sex and Shakespeare ... God, this is just like high school

The Brown County Play-house's production of I Hate Hamlet really hit home for this reviewer when its hero uttered that line. But it was one of the few times that it truly inspired a hearty guffaw. Paul Rudnick's back stage comedy follows in the tradition set down by classics such as "Lend Me a Tenor," "Moon over Buffalo," and "Noises Off." A few more plays like these with their small casts, elaborate and luxurious unit sets, and theatrical themes and they could create a new sub-genre of back-stage theatrical farces. So, while the show has a lot in common with its contemporaries, it does not create the same hilarity and frantic good time as the others. Instead of ribald physical humor to compliment the verbal witticisms, it simply relies on one-line quips. So obviously the main question is does the text create enough comic momentum to maintain itself for ninety minutes?\nWell the answer is basically yes and no. The troupe of incredibly professional actors assembled for this production are all up to the task of creating memorable and endearing characters, and they manage to find lightness in an often dull script. So, the script would be the "no" part of the answer.\nIn all honesty, Paul Rudnick definitely had a wonderful idea when he began to write. His play tells the story of a young light-weight television actor named Andrew Rally whose elderly immigrant agent got him a gig playing Hamlet for Shakespeare in the park in New York City. The only problem with his situation is that he hates the play Hamlet and fears the idea of tackling the title role that has confounded even the most experienced actor. Fortunately for him, during a botched séance with his realtor, Andrew summons the spirit of legendary actor John Barrymore whose old flat he currently occupies. The ghost has come to help him learn to trust himself as an actor, and trust Shakespeare's play so that he might succeed as the Melancholy Dane. \nIn paragraph form the idea reads quite well, but on stage, Rudnick seemed to run out of ideas for things that the characters could say and do. There are some wonderful exchanges between Rockland Mers, and Mark Bertram as Barrymore and Rally. It's a consistent treat throughout the play to see the old Master's reaction to some of the techniques which his young charge considers acting. \nThe energy surrounding this back and forth between them is not really generated by the text. It is simply Mr. Mers, and Mr. Bertram having an incredibly good time with the material they have been given. The same can be said about the rest of the cast. One of the most precious moments in the show occurs between Mers as Barrymore and Martha Jacobs as Lillian, Andrew's aged agent. Lillian once had an affair with Barrymore when both were involved in marital strife. She walks in on the ghost and Andrew and they both recognize each other from long ago. When Andrew leaves the two of them along they quietly dance and reminisce about long lost feelings and the things left unfinished in life.\nThe scene is touching because the actors make it work. Not a moment wrung false during the entire interlude. Throughout the play the fine ensemble does there best to work the tired and unnecessarily drawn-out script that Rudnick provided them with. There is not enough in the plot to maintain the audience's interest for the entire length of the show. As a one-act I Hate Hamlet would have been stronger and more focused. By forcing two acts upon it, it undermines the shows humor. Go see I Hate Hamlet if you enjoy warm and funny performances. If you want a well developed and incredibly memorable text, read… well, read Hamlet.