I Hate Hamlet
by Wimberley Players
Aug. 18 - Aug. 19 (2017)
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 séance to summon his ghost.
From the moment Barrymore returns, dressed in high Shakespearean garb, Andrew's life is no longer his own. Barrymore, fortified by champagne and ego, presses Andrew to accept the part and fulfill his actor's destiny. The action becomes more hilarious with the entrance of Andrew's deal-making friend from LA, spouting the laid-back hype of the Coast and offering Andrew a fabulous new TV deal worth millions of dollars. Andrew wrestles with his conscience, Barrymore, his sword, and the fact that he fails as Hamlet in Central Park.
Audition Notice
I Hate Hamlet
by Paul Rudnick
CWimberley Players, Wimberley Playhouse, 450 Old Kyle Rd., Wimberley, TX. 78676
Directed by: Tracy Arnold
Audition Dates: Friday, August 18th, 7:00-10 pm, and Saturday, August 19th, 12-3 pm. Wimberley Playhouse, 450 Old Kyle Rd. Wimberley TX. 78676
Callbacks: Monday, August 21st beginning at 7:00pm. Callbacks are by invitation only.
Production Dates: Nov. 10th- Dec. 3rd 2017. Fri/Sat curtain at 7:30, Sun at 2:30pm. There will be performances on Thanksgiving weekend.
Actors will be asked to read from the script. Sides will be provided at the theatre. Actors will be put in 1/2 hour slots.
Please schedule a reserved audition time slot by emailing tauditions@wimberleyplayers.org. Bring a headshot and resume to the audition.
Characters:
Felicia Dantine: 30-45*. Andrew Rally's real estate broker, Felicia Dantine is a strong figure and claims that she can speak to the dead; however, her séance arranged to speak with the ghost of Barrymore appears on the surface to have been a failure.
Andrew Rally: 20-35. Young and popular, Andrew Rally is a television actor and star of a recently canceled soap opera. He just moved to New York City from Los Angeles, where he will soon be playing Hamlet on stage. He is both overwhelmed and chagrined by the challenge, because it is the stage, not Hollywood, and because it is perhaps the most difficult role ever written. However, he has unwittingly moved into the apartment of the deceased John Barrymore, perhaps the greatest Shakespearean actor who ever lived.
Deirdre McDavey: 20-35. Attractive and emotional, a wild romantic, Deirdre McDavey is Rally's girlfriend. She is committed, much to his annoyance, to "saving herself" until they are married.
Lillian Troy: 60-70*. Rally's agent, Lillian Troy was in her early twenties but remembers fondly an affair she had with John Barrymore many years ago, in the apartment Rally now lives in. She has a no-nonsense quality and a wry toughness.
John Barrymore: 30-45*. A legendary actor, John Barrymore, or, rather, his ghost is still quite active (in many ways) and appears to help Rally in the nuances of both acting and love. He has wicked bounding glee and no hint of pedantry. He is a star.
Gary Peter Lefkowitz: 30-45*. A cocky, pompous television producer, Gary Peter Lefkowitz gave Rally his first big break. He wants Rally to move back to Los Angeles to film a new television series and can't understand why he isn't jumping at the chance. He is not an easy villain, and while he is crass and calculating, he is never stupid.
*Please note: Age ranges are approximate for these roles.
For information and to schedule audition, please email auditions@wimberleyplayers.org
