To Be or...Whatever

"Dying is easy. Comedy is hard."

So supposedly quipped British director and actor Sir Donald Wolfit on his deathbed. However, dying isn't always that easy. And comedy-that's a snap for playwright Paul Rudnick whose play, "I Hate Hamlet," had the audience laughing their "fartles" off at the Vagabond Theater in Baltimore's Fells Point.

But let's get back to the dying for a moment.  Or to be more precise, the dead. The dead, in this case, being the illustrious actor John Barrymore (Harry B. Turner), who finds his spirit summoned by Andrew Rally (Christopher Krystztofiak), a "lightweight TV actor" in desparate need of acting lessons. Rally, a refugee from a defunct doctors-drama and bad commercials, finds himself in Barrymore's old New York apartment, cast as Hamlet for an upcoming "Shakespeare in the Park" production.

Sometimes you find a good play badly acted or a poor play gamely performed but at the Vagabond, the script and the cast come together happily like Barrymore and alcohol. And why not? What actor wouldn't feast on Rudnick's words, a love letter peppered with affectionate digs at the Bard, professional theater, and the Hollywood TV-movie factory.

Check out some of these Neil-Simonesque liners:

Barrymore: "My real name was Bligh. I became Barrymore to avoid embarrassing the family."
Andrew: "My real name is Rallenberg. I changed it to Rally to avoid embarrassing the Jews."

"Shakespeare-that's like algebra on stage."

"Do you want to be an artist or a lunch box?"

"Sex is great...with the right guy."  "And with the wrong guy?" "Bettah!"

But I won't spoil the show like a movie trailer that gives away all the best parts (fear not, they are plentiful).

Turner and Krysztofiak are especially well cast in their roles as dueling Hamlets, with Turner doing his best to channel Barrymore, admitting that the key to playing the Melancholy Dane is "all in the tights." He proves a sage guide to Krysztofiak's guileless Andrew who at first is content to embrace his inner hack, but discovers that perhaps there's something to be said for glory versus mere celebrity (even if celebrity pays better).

With Karin Crighton as Felicia , the psychic real estate "brokah"; Shannon Benil as Andrew's "unicorn and potpourri"-loving girlfriend, Deirdre; Kenny Johnson as the California director and "cultural cavity" Gary Peter Lefkowitz, and Margery Germain, in a particularly nice turn as the chainsmoking, Utna-Hagan-meets-Cloris-Leachman theater agent and one time Barrymore paramour, Lillian Troy, rounding out the cast, "I Hate Hamlet" is a delight to both HAMLET lovers and haters alike.

Kudos to director Steve Goldklang in assembling this cast and instilling a fast pace that made this 2-hour production fly by;  to set designer and builders Roy Steinman, Tony Colavito and Jay Demarco who helped give Barrymore's apartment the right "gothic" edge; and to fight choreographer Larry Malkus who helped make the swordplay between the two Hamlets look somewhat believable.

I HATE HAMLET continues its run at the Vagabond Players , 800 South Broadway, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., 2 p.m. on Sunday, now through May 17^th. Tickets are $15 each. For more information and reservations, call 410-563-9135 or visit www.vagabondplayers.org.