Review: 'I Hate Hamlet' Brings Heart and Soul to the Barker Playhouse Stage

David Sackal plays Andrew Rally, the star of a cheesy primetime television show called "LA Medical." Andrew has moved to a luxurious New York apartment once occupied by theater legend John Barrymore. His agent Lillian (Carole Collins) has helped him land the role of a lifetime: Hamlet.

The only problem is that Andrew doesn't believe he has the ability to play such a highly complex character. He has made his living from spouting off corny one-liners. For one gig, Andrew played opposite a puppet in a successful breakfast cereal commercial; to his horror, he had to converse with a chipmunk.

If that wasn't bad enough, Andrew's perpetually flaky girlfriend, Deirdre (amusingly portrayed by Rebecca Bernardo-Hartley), won't have sex with him. She's saving herself for marriage... or something.
To top it all off, Andrew's new home is haunted by the ghost of Barrymore (Tim Bric), who becomes Andrew's confidante and acting coach.

When Andrew's opportunistic writer friend Gary (Ramon Hernandez) offers him a new television series called "Night School" that promises a $3 million payday, Barrymore urges Andrew to ignore fame and fortune, which he believes are essentially meaningless, and focus his efforts on creating art on stage.

"I Hate Hamlet" has an offbeat premise and the right group of actors to sell it. The best scenes are the byplay between Andrew and Barrymore, who Bric plays with a campy charm. Bric is clearly having a blast with the character, and it's enjoyable to watch Barrymore advising his protégé. Serving as Andrew's acting coach is Barrymore's "cosmic lunge toward redemption."

Playwright Paul Rudnick's dialogue is witty and the supporting performances are all solid. Sackal is a natural as a leading man. He's likable and charming as Andrew struggles to overcome his fears so he can do some real acting for a change.

Kira Santos ("The Three Scrooges") exhibits sharp comic timing as the somewhat eccentric Felicia, a real estate agent who doubles as a spiritual medium. She's a real scene stealer. Collins has a lot of fun as Lillian, who seeks to rekindle her long dormant romance with Barrymore, even though he is a ghost. Bric and Collins even share a dance together.

Hernandez is also on target as the shallow and uncultured Gary, who appreciates money more than art. He's basically playing the Devil to Barrymore's Angel as they battle for Andrew's soul.

Director Gia Yarn keeps the production moving at a fast pace and generates focused performances from the cast. Set designer Dan Clement has created a hauntingly gothic look for Andrew's apartment. Terry Shea's sound design is suitably atmospheric.

Overall, "I Hate Hamlet" is a wonderful entertainment with a lot of heart and soul.

"I Hate Hamlet" runs through February 9 in a production by The Players at Barker Playhouse, 400 Benefit St., Providence, RI. Runtime is two hours with intermission. For tickets, call 401-273-0590 or visit playersri.org.