Scripps Ranch Theatre Stages I HATE HAMLET

Scripps Ranch Theatre continues Season 42 with the comedy I HATE HAMLET by Paul Rudnick, directed by Phil Johnson. The production runs May 27 - June 12 on the campus of Alliant International University. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm. There will be a preview performance on May 27th. Patrons can purchase Tickets online at https://scrippsranchtheatre.org/tickets/ or contact SRT Patron Services Manager, Dani DeCarlo, at 858-395-0573.

In I HATE HAMLET, we are introduced to Andrew Rally, a TV actor with a failing series and a chance to play the dream role of Hamlet. When the ghost of the famous Shakespearean actor John Barrymore appears for the sole purpose of convincing Rally to accept the role, he has to choose between Shakespeare and a new TV deal worth millions.

Enter a beautiful girlfriend clinging steadfastly to her chastity and a glamorous agent who claims to have had an affair with Barrymore and the results are fast, clever, and hilarious. A comedy valentine to people who love the theatre and the eccentric people in it.

Director, Phil Johnson shared "I am really excited to work on something so incredibly funny , engaging and sweetly inspiring for the SRT audience. This is an older play by a very funny author - Paul Rudnick - who wrote a lot of very funny movie scripts, including Addams Family Values, and he is one of my favorite Comedy crafters for Broadway.

This play has a wild history behind it. The man who played Barrymore on B'way was going through a lot of personal problems and during a sword fight with one of the other leads, stabbed or smacked him so hard that the other lead walked off stage and never came back! Surprisingly this is a show that you don't see very much, because of the fact that it's so hard to cast Barrymore. But we have two incredibly talented men in the lead roles Alex Guzman and John DeCarlo, and this is an absolutely laugh out loud experience with kind of a wonderful message after all the big roaring and bravado - sometimes what you learn from an outrageous experience is something small but sweeping that changes your whole life. I hope that's what people get from this!"

The cast includes the following talented San Diego actors:

Adam Daniel Gary Peter Lefkowitz

John DeCarlo John Barrymore

Jill Drexler Lillian Troy

Alex Guzman Andrew Rally

Christine Hewitt Felicia Dantine

Lynnia Shanley Deirdre McDavey

About Scripps Ranch Theatre

Scripps Ranch Theatre (SRT) is a professional theatre company located on the campus of Alliant International University and is celebrating its 42nd Season. Helmed by Artistic Director, Jill Drexler, Scripps Ranch Theatre produces a mainstage season in their intimate 128 seat space. SRT is a leader in the Southern California Arts Community in developing and producing new plays with their annual Out On A Limb Festival of New Plays.To learn more, visit www.scrippsranchtheatre.org