A coin flip turns up heads 90 times in a row. This probability-defying act joyously starts off Tom Stoppard's modern classic Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, playing at The Contemporary Theater Company April 27 - May 19.
Life on the sidelines as minor characters in the most famous play in English-speaking history. What do you do while waiting for Hamlet to come around? Rosencrantz and Gildenstern consider life, fate, and what it all might mean as they stumble through their misadventures.
"When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are alone, they have these wildly different personalities that make them the perfect best friends," says stage manager Maggie Cady. "But when Hamlet shows up, no one can tell the two a part, constantly mixing up their names. It's a fascinating dynamic that develops over the course of the show."
One part Hamlet, one part Waiting for Godot, Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead made a splash when it premiered in 1967 and has been a staple of modern theater since. This dark comedy takes two minor characters from Hamlet and turns the spotlight on them. They find themselves considering what life means when you can't remember past this morning. Do we have free will? Is our end fated? Why are we here?
The show is comedic, thoughtful, poignant, and sometimes downright strange, leading to an exciting and satisfying night for audiences.
Tickets for performances and more information about the company are available online at www.contemporarytheatercompany.com or by calling 401-218-0282.
Previews: Apr 27-28 at 7 pm
Performances: May 3-5, 10-12, 17-19 at 7 pm
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