Review: ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD at Nu Sass Productions

What happens to the characters in a play when they’re not on stage? Do they continue to exist in a narrative limbo outside of time? Does the paradox of characters without stories parallel how we struggle to find meaning in life’s entrances and exits? If you find these questions – or games involving questions, or existential questions in general – to be a bore, then the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead might cause a long yawn. But if you’re along for the ride, you’ll be treated to plenty of Hamlet-flavored chaos, wordplay, and Beckettian absurdity, all while holding close to the core of this comedy: death.

Tom Stoppard’s 1966 meta-play, presented by Nu Sass Productions at the DC Arts Center, asks much more than it answers and keeps audiences laughing until the deadly end. Performed with a lively ensemble cast led by Rachel Dixon as Rosencrantz and Olivia Cholewczynski as Guildenstern, the production will cheer fans of this classic play and win over new ones with its energy and heart. The venue is located between a smoke shop and bar, up narrow stairs, from which you emerge into a sparkling art gallery before walking back to the intimate theatre space. It works for the disorienting world Nu Sass has built for this unique story.

A quick refresher on the titular heroes: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are minor characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, who are school friends of the Danish prince attempting to discover the cause of his madness at the request of King Claudius. They are mostly offstage throughout Hamlet, which makes for extra time lingering on stage during Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. 

It can be hard to pass the time while waiting for lines and stage directions. When we first encounter Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, they are in an inexplicable rut while flipping coins: with toss after toss, they come up with nothing but ‘heads.’ This scenario grounds the “un-, sub-, or supernatural” space – in the frustrated words of Guildenstern – that the characters find themselves trapped inside.

After dozens of coin flips, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are joined by a band of players who slip in and out of performing Hamlet and its fateful play-within-a-play. When not speaking, the troupe sits on the edges of the stage in full view of the audience, highlighting the blurred boundaries between performance and daily experience. The edges of reality are slippery here, as performers come and go with unpredictable entrances and exits: at one point, an exasperated Rosencrantz exclaims, “It’s like living in a public park!”

From performing broad physical comedy to whispered morbid thoughts, the cast of Nu Sass’ production doesn’t hesitate to show how much fun they’re having with the material. The ensemble plays off one another with a calculated clumsiness, fine-tuned for maximum comedic effect. In particular, Anna Gencarelli delivered a standout performance as the theatre troupe’s lead Player, bringing fresh inspiration to some of Stoppard’s most piercing lines. 

In the title roles, Dixon and Cholewczynski are a hilarious and magnetic pair. Dixon’s Rosencrantz lives in the moment, staying carefully attuned to the experiences of her companion. Her playful, responsive delivery stole multiple scenes. Cholewczynski’s Guildenstern was a captivating foil to her partner’s steady presence. She turned up the temperature with frantic energy, tying herself in knots while firing off salty quips. 

Beyond the charismatic cast, this production, with direction by Ashley Mapley-Brittle, wins over audiences right away with its unassuming charm. This includes understated scenic elements by Simone Schneeberg, scrappy but skillfully composed costumes by Elizabeth Morton, and sound design by Youri Kim that featured instrumental, Renaissance-style covers of pop songs playing quietly during intermission and seating periods (a big hit with the opening night audience). 

There are many themes in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, but two that come up again and again are fate and uncertainty. At one point, the Player says, “Life is a gamble, at terrible odds–if it was a bet, you wouldn’t take it.” If this, paired with a coin flip always fated to be ‘heads,’ makes you smile rather than sigh, odds are that this production is a gamble worth taking. 

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Running time: 120 minutes, with one 10 minute intermission

Nu Sass Productions’ Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is at the DC Arts Center (2438 18th St NW, Washington DC) through October 5, 2024. The venue is not handicap accessible. There is a Colonial Parking garage across the street, and the venue is also within walking distance from the Woodley Park, Columbia Heights, and Dupont Circle metro lines. Masks are not required for the audience for this performance. Tickets can be purchased here, and additional tickets for sold-out performances may be available at TodayTix.com as a part of DC Theatre Week.

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