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I Hate Hamlet
“LINE BY LINE, MR. RUDNICK MAY BE THE FUNNIEST WRITER FOR THE STAGE IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY.”
– New York Times
A rising Hollywood star accepts the role of Hamlet at New York’s Shakespeare in the Park and his agent thinks he’s gone daft. Why trade a fluffy, big money TV role for dusty old Shakespeare? Leave it to the ghost of actor John Barrymore, the quintessential Hamlet of the 20th century, to give him his answer. A love letter to the theatre! Paul Rudnick one of our pre-eminent humorists known for being a regular contributor to The New Yorker.
CAST
David Lansbury recently finished shooting Valley Inn, directed by Chris Spencer, after spending a year on the Broadway production of War Horse. His feature film appearances include Michael Clayton, Tony Gilroy, and Scent of a Woman, to name a few. David has guest starred on Law & Order SVU, Law & Order Criminal Intent, and Fringe. He had recurring roles on Sex & The City and Oz. David has also performed in the Broadway productions of Comedians, Hedda Gabler, Major Barbara, and The Heidi Chronicles.
Hayley Bond is an actress, singer, dancer and amateur aerialist from Westport, CT. She is currently a member of Animus Theatre Co. in New York City. Graduate of Circle in the Square Theatre School and Emerson College (BFA Musical Theatre). Off-Broadway: It’s A Wonderful Life(Irish Rep.) with Howard McGillin. Regional/Tours/New York: Adam Guettel in Concert(Australian Tour), Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike (Weston Playhouse), Marvelous Wonderette’s Caps N’ Gowns(Weston Playhouse), Saint Ex (Weston Playhouse/York Theatre), Lippi: Pietore D’Amore(York Theatre), The King Stag(Long Wharf), Notes to Marianne(NAMT), Save the Date (NY Fringe), The Time of Your Life (Attic Theatre Co.), 1776 (Curtain Call Theatre). She frequently participates in the development of new musicals and is currently working on Millions directed by Bartlett Sher, music by Adam Guettel. Also in development: Outlaws directed by Noah Himmelstein, music by Alexander Sage Oyen (ASCAP workshop, Dramatists Guild Fellowship).
Ben Pelteson has appeared in productions across New York and the US. In New York he has been seen in Photograph 51 (Ensemble Studio Theatre); The Mines of Sulphur (City Opera/Lincoln Center). He has also performed regionally in Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Perestroika(Wilma Theater, 2012 Barrymore Award Nominee); The Merchant of Venice (The Shakespeare Theatre Company); The Murder of Isaac (Centerstage); Lady Windermere’s Fan, The Witching Hour (Williamstown Theatre Festival); The Tempest (McCarter Theatre tour); The Laramie Project (Pittsburgh Public Theater); The Man Who Came to Dinner, Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Northern Stage); The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare on the Sound); Love’s Labor’s Lost (Vineyard Playhouse); Dov and Ali (Chester Theatre Company). He has appeared in a number of films and television shows including Homeland, Law & Order, Unforgettable, The Guiding Light, Silly Little Game. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University where he was the recipient of the Helen Wayne Rauh Award for Acting; and studied at the Moscow Art Theater School.
JD Taylor has appeared recently as Ed in the world premiere of Ed, Downloaded by Michael Mitnick (Denver Center Theatre); in Leslye Headland’s Bachelorette (Studio Theatre, Washington, DC); Red (Asolo Rep and Maltz Jupiter Theatre); She Stoops To Conquer (Williamstown Theatre Festival); Missed Connection (Samuel French Short Play Festival winner); O’Neill Playwrights Conference; Sundance Theatre Lab; and Ground Up Production’s world premieres of Rubber Ducks & Sunsets (Gene Frankel Theatre) and Letter From Algeria (Abingdon Theatre). He has also appeared in a number of films and television shows including The Good Wife, The Mend (SXSW Film Festival Grand Jury Award nominee), Welcome to New York, and Lewis Black Drama Queen. he has an MFA from NYU’s Graduate Acting Program.
Annie Meisels DTF debut! Favorite Theater Includes: Barrington Stage-Breaking the Code, Playwrights Horizons- Next Fall, Alliance Theater- Mrs Warrens Profession, Baltimore Center stage-Taming of the Shrew, The Old Globe-The real Thing, and many others. Favorite TV- most recent: Blue Bloods. Life on Mars, Law and Order SVU, As the World Turns, The Education of Max Bickford. Film Favorites: Dovid Meyer, November Lies, Kareoke King, Six Degrees of Separation. BFA from Rutgers Univ. Mason Gross School of the Arts.
Carole Monferdini Theatre highlights include long runs in The Club(OBIE Award) at Circle-in-the-Square, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom at Provincetown Playhouse in NYC, and the one-woman show, Full Gallop, off-Broadway at the Westide Arts and on national tour; The Misanthrope with the National Theatre of Great Britain and regional theatre in 22 states. Film includes: Next Stop, Greenwich Village; The Bell Jar; The Brass Ring and Hank Boyd is Dead. She is a founding member of Abingdon Theatre Company in NYC, a newly-inducted member into the Actors Center and a member of 9th Floor Playwrights Group
CREATIVE
Director – Carl Andress
Set Design – Kevin Judge
Sound Design – Ien DeNio
Costume Design – Gregory Gale
Lighting Design – Michael Giannitti
Fight Choreography Unkle Dave’s Fight House
PRESS
Review “Dorset Theatre Festival is closing a most successful season — appropriately — with dessert. Paul Rudnick’s delicious 1991 comedy “I Hate Hamlet” opened in a thoroughly delightful production Friday at the Dorset Playhouse — one that was well-cast, fast-paced and ridiculously funny.”JimLowe/ Rutland Herald/Times Argus
Review “So go see this play, because you will not only leave with a belly ache, but be able to laugh about that, too.”- Telly Halkias/Manchester Journal
John Barrymore’s Ghost teaches Hamlet – Rutland Herald/Jim Lowe Preview of I Hate Hamlet
Broadway World preview of I Hate Hamlet
Berkshire On Stage highlights I Hate Hamlet
