I Hate Hamlet at The Arctic Playhouse

I Hate Hamlet! by Paul Rudnick presented by The Arctic Playhouse and JMG Theater Performances: Jan. 13, 14, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28 @ 8pm Jan. 22 @ 2pm The Arctic Playhouse 117 Washington St. West Warwick, RI 02893 $13 advance $18 door www.thearcticplayhouse.com   Andrew Rally seems to have it all: celebrity and acclaim from his starring role in a hit television series; a rich, beautiful girlfriend; a glamorous, devoted agent; the perfect New York apartment; and the chance to play Hamlet in Central Park. There are, however, a couple of glitches in paradise. Andrew's series has been canceled; his girlfriend is clinging to her virginity with unyielding conviction; and he has no desire to play Hamlet. When Andrew's agent visits him, she reminisces about her brief romance with John Barrymore many years ago, in Andrew's apartment. This prompts a seance to summon his ghost. From the moment Barrymore returns, dressed in high Shakespearean garb, Andrew's life is no longer his own. Barrymore presses Andrew to accept the part and fulfill his actor's destiny. The contrast between the two actors, the towering, dissipated Barrymore whose Hamlet was the greatest of his time, and Andrew Rally, hot young television star, leads to a wildly funny duel over women, art, success, duty, television, and yes, the apartment.

Authors

• Paul Rudnick