Nashville Rep to Stage ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD, 10/8-31

This Tony Award-winner is a tragicomedy of Shakespearean proportions! Known for their minor roles in Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are at the center of the story this time, finding themselves continually befuddled by their circumstances, never sure of what they're supposed to be doing. Here, in the scenes behind the Hamlet story, the duo hilariously questions their every action, feeling like maybe they are being manipulated (they are) but worrying that to resist may be interfering with fate. Whether you're a Hamlet lover or not, this is a comedy that will tickle your funny bone while making you wonder if any of us are actually the star of our own story. This production is recommended for middle school and above.

Nashville Rep's Producing Artistic Director René Copeland notes, "ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD is a brilliant classic of tragicomedy that is absurd and funny most of all. It's a great and accessible way to dabble in the Elizabethan era, which is fun for our designers, and satiates my desire to present a classic when we can."

Assistant Director David Ian Lee adds, "There are great things happening in this, the structured chaos of how theatre gets made. Patrick Waller and Matt Garner - who play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (respectively) - approach their work with the seriousness and the respect that is deserved of great playwriting, though in any instant they are equally inclined to launch into riffs on Ghostbusters or Harry Potter or dozens of over-the-top vocal impersonations."

Nashville Rep's cast for ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD includes Matt Garner (Guildenstern), Patrick Kramer (Tragedian), Steven Kraski (Tragedian), John Mauldin (Polonius), Jeremy Maxwell (Tragedian), Tony Morton (Claudius), Shelean Newman (Gertrude), Matthew Rosenbaum (Hamlet), Patrick Waller (Rosencrantz), Jacob York (Player) and acting interns Isaiah Frank (Alfred), Andrew Johnson (Tragedian) and Delaney Keith (Ophelia).

ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD was written by Tom Stoppard and is directed by René D. Copeland. Nashville Rep's Producing Artistic Director is René D. Copeland. Designers are Gary Hoff (Scenic/Properties Designer), Trish Clark (Costume Designer), Darren Levin (Lighting Designer) and Kyle Odum (Sounds Designer). Technical Director is Tyler Axt.

Preview performances of ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD are October 8-9, 2015, opening night on Saturday, October 10, and the show runs through October 31. Specific performance dates and times are listed below. Tickets start at $25 for previews and start at $45 for regular run, and can be purchased online at NashvilleRep.org or by calling the Box Office at 615.782.4040. Performances of ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD will be held in Andrew Johnson Theatre at Tennessee Performing Arts Center, located at 505 Deaderick Street in downtown Nashville.

Nashville Rep is a non-profit theatre bringing classic and contemporary theatre to Nashville that inspires empathy and prods intellectual and emotional engagement in audiences. The 2015-16 season also includes A Christmas Story, Good Monsters and Chicago. The season concludes with the Ingram New Works Festival in May, a showcase of new works created in Nashville for the American Theatre.