by Scott Renshaw
Writer Paul Rudnick is not the sort who traffics in upscale "theatah." He wrote the screenplays for the two "Addams Family" films, provides acid-tongued commentary for Premiere magazine under the nom de plume Libby Gelman-Waxner, and even managed to incorporate the subject of AIDS into his frothy romantic comedy "Jeffrey." No, his "I Hate Hamlet" is not deep. It is simply hilarious, a relentlessly entertaining showcase for Rudnick's blistering dialogue and keen observations on show business.
"I Hate Hamlet," being presented by the Palo Alto Players, takes place in a New York apartment just rented by Andrew Rally (Michael Killianey), a Los Angeles-based actor still smarting from the cancellation of his TV series. His television fame has won him the lead in a Shakespeare-in-the-Park production of "Hamlet," but Andrew isn't sure he's up to the task. Coincidentally, he learns that his apartment once was the residence of the late John Barrymore, who lived there while he performed his renowned version of "Hamlet," a fact that thrills Andrew's uncompromisingly virginal girlfriend Deirdre (Lee Ann Payne).
Andrew, however, is still prepared to surrender the role--until he is visited by the ghost of Barrymore (Drew Anderson), a ghost with a mission: to prepare Andrew for the greatest role in the theater, whether he likes it or not.
Rudnick has provided a plot which, while somewhat thin, gives him plenty of opportunities to skewer some easy but appealing targets: actors, lawyers, real estate agents and, most delightfully, Hollywood. Kamal al-Marayati turns in a superb performance as unapologetically shallow television producer Gary Ahmed Lefkowitz, who hopes to lure Andrew back to L.A. with the promise of a series in which he is to play a sensitive inner-city high school teacher who "at night has super powers." He also provides a brilliant monologue in which he extols television as the perfection of entertainment--"art distilled"--and skewers the lot of idealistic but unemployed actors.
"I Hate Hamlet" is a dead-on satire of Hollywood's contempt for the art of drama, made even funnier by the fact that Gary isn't even a caricature.
"I Hate Hamlet" is basically a battle between the two angels on Andrew's shoulders, Gary on one side and Barrymore on the other. It comes as no surprise then that those two characters are the real stars of the show. Anderson's Barrymore is a joy to watch, a ham of an actor whose personal sense of dignity is defined by his triumph as the melancholy Dane. He delights in being larger than life, because to him, that is the nature of acting. There is also a surprising touch of sadness in Anderson's performance, as Barrymore sees in Andrew a chance to redeem the career which he allowed to slide into alcoholism and third-rate film roles.
Anderson and Killianey have a nice chemistry, but Killianey struggles to fill in a sketchy character. There is a pat quality to many of his line readings, as though there were little behind Andrew's nice-guy insecurity. That is a danger in a naturalistic lead role surrounded by more colorful supporting characters, a problem which also hampered Rudnick's "Jeffrey."
Director Joe DeGuglielmo puts Allen Blue's multilevel set to exceptional use, though he also takes advantage of it to stage an over-extended duel at the end of the first act. He also has a few problems with sight lines, blocking his actors so that they are hidden from view on occasion. However, he does a top-notch job with his entire cast, including Payne in the difficult role of a woman both sexually charged and sexually inexperienced, and he allows them to attack Rudnick's wicked and occasionally crude dialogue without camping it up.
I can't imagine anyone coming to see "I Hate Hamlet" for the twists and turns of the narrative; when Andrew does decide between his two angels, the result should come as no surprise. Depth is not Rudnick's goal in "I Hate Hamlet." This is a play for sharp performances by actors of sharp lines, spoken trippingly upon the tongue. In this "Hamlet," the playfulness is the thing.
"I Hate Hamlet"
Who: Palo Alto Players
When Through June 30 (Wednesdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sunday, June 30 at 2:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 23 at 7 p.m.)
Where: Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto
Cost: $16-$18
Information: 329-0891
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