By David Cannon
Special to the Sentinel
October 5, 1995

Halloween comes a little early this year. A number of horror movies are opening in the movie theaters, and the critically acclaimed television series, “X Files,” has kicked off anew season with typical style and paranoia.

Then there’s the ghostly comedy, “I Hate Hamlet,” at Rockville Little Theater. This little play is almost the “Topper” of this generation with a ghostly benefactor helping a ‘human with his life. It makes a strong opening for Rockville Little Theater’s 49th season.

The plot is simple enough. Andrew Rally’s claims to fame are a successful television series and a silly commercial. Between jobs he gets cast in the title role of “Hamlet” and justifiably feels he’s in way over his head. But Andrew is staying in the same’. apartment loft once used by John Barrymom. The ghost of the legendary actor appears to help Andrew Out.

Embedded in this hilarious comedy, writer Paul Rudnick is doing his own variation on the Hamlet tale. John Banymore is the ghost“ly father figure straight out of Shakespeare’s plav encouraging the young Andrew, who like Hamlet himself spends most of the show being indecisive. Andrew’s girlfriend Deirdre is a chaste Ophelia type and chain-smoking agent Lillian Troy is great fun as a motherly Gertrude.

Playwright Rudnick is most famous for. his scripts to the “Addams Family” movies. This play is filled with black humor and fun-fly one-liners. During a seance to contact Barrymore, Lillian asks the ghost, “Is it hot?”

There’s this wheeling-dealing Hollywood agent named Gary who thinks Shakespeare is “algebra on stage,” but loves his idea for a television series: “Night School,” where a young inner-city teacher develops super powers after dark. Didn’t someone actually do a show like this once?

It’s not all fun and games. In the second act, Barrymore discusses the second half of his career, which was not that illustrious. The ending has a warm glow to it -- the ghost of Barrymore is briefly reunited with his Gertrude and Andrew’s Hamlet finally gets his Ophelia. Unlike the original “Hamlet,” you don’t have to worry about all those dead bodies in the last act. How do directors block that final scene?

The trick to “I Hate Hamlet” is to find a good Barrymore. Phil Baedecker is a good choice for the role. He has that look and voice. He can trade one liners with Andrew and Gary. Baedecker also is effective in those serious moments in the second act when Barrymore tells how his career and life got side tracked.

Also good are Charles Maze as the indecisive Andrew and Loris Paterson as the chaste Deidre. In the play, both characters are mediocre actors.  Maze and Paterson seem to be having a blast when their characters are in overacting mode. Good comic relief from Barry Abrams as the West Coast Gary, Judy Mayer as real estate agent cum psychic Felicia and Jean Kaszynski as Lillian Troy, who has a very nice scene with the ghost in the second act.

Director Jeanne Piccolino paces this show well and blocks it effectively. This is only a six- character play. Rarely are there more than two or three people on stage at any one time. Such an intimate show could be lost on that large Rockville Civic Stage, where big musicals such as “Pajama Game” have been produced. But this little show works quite well in that large auditorium.

Piccolino is helped by Charles Imhoof’s set design, which nicely captures the period flavor of Barrymore’s apartment, and also helps push the action closer to the audience. Also good are Erik Trester’s lighting design and Roy Wood’s sound design, which make Barrymore’s spectral entrance in the first act very effectively. Not all the jokes were effective opening night, but I’m sure that will get better over time. On the other hand, the sword duel at the end of the first act was one of the best I’ve seen for this show.

On an odd note: one of the hottest tickets in Canadian Theater this year was a production of “Hamlet” starring, of all people, Keanu Reeves. Yes, the guy from “Speed” and “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” doin Shakespeare.  They didn’t let the reviewers in, but they had no problem selling tickets.

Unbelievable? It seems to me that Rudnick predicted a similar event several years ago in “I Hate Hamlet.” Once again, life imitates art.

The Rockville Musical Theater/Rockville Little Theater consortium continues with their current season with the musical “Grand Hotel” in October. Then RLT begins 1996 with the mystery, “Cliffhanger,” and then Neil Simon’s Pulitzer Prize winning, “Lost In Yonkers” in
June.

“I Hate Hamlet” continues at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theater through Oct. 7. For more information on this show or subscribing to the RMT/RLT 1995-1996 season, call 340-1417.