I Hate Hamlet (2024)

Andrew Rally is a successful actor, who recently starred in a hit television series in Hollywood. When his series was cancelled, he accepted the role of Hamlet in the summer’s Shakespeare in the Park and moved to New York. His rich and naïve girlfriend thinks that his becoming a serious actor is wonderful; he’s not so sure. Andrew has moved into John Barrymore’s former apartment, so it only makes sense that his agent, who had a brief fling with Barrymore years ago, would summon up Barrymore’s ghost at a séance so that Andrew can be coached by Broadway’s most famous Hamlet, in elocution, swordplay, and love. To complicate matters, a Hollywood producer wants Andrew to return to California and star in a great new series. What will Andrew choose—and how will his girlfriend and the ghost of Barrymore affect his choice?

I Hate Hamlet is a love letter to live theater, for both actors and audiences. From an actor’s perspective, there is the thrill of connecting with an audience and the terror of forgetting your lines or your blocking or just not being very interesting. From the audience’s perspective there is a chance to experience exciting performances, think about the world in which we live in a new way, and learn something you never knew before. Of course, there’s also the possibility of being underwhelmed by a not very good performance, something that in our play the budding Shakespearean actor, Andrew Rally, is very afraid of. This play also salutes the actor John Barrymore and the theatrical tradition he represented, vibrant, passionate, and in love with language. I was lucky enough to see productions of Shakespeare in the Park several times when I lived in New York City, including a very young Meryl Streep in Henry V (who spoke mostly French). I’m happy to keep the tradition of live theater going with I Hate Hamlet and am grateful to the Illinois Shakespeare Festival for sponsoring our show—I’m glad they have a sense of humor!

-Sally Parry

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