NIC Theatre’s ‘I Hate Hamlet’ premieres Thursday

The North Idaho College Theatre Department will perform “I Hate Hamlet” at 7:30 p.m. April 13, 14, 15 and April 20, 21, 22 at the Boswell Hall Schuler Performing Arts Center at NIC’s campus in Coeur d’Alene.

All performances are free and open to the public.

“I Hate Hamlet” is a comedy-drama written by Paul Rudnick in which up-and-coming television actor Andrew Rally has his life turned upside down after a visit from the ghost of actor John Barrymore. The laughs are non-stop as the young star wrestles with his career, his personal life and his lack of desire to take the role of Hamlet in New York City.

“Sometimes we just need a good laugh,” NIC Director of Theatre Erick Wolfe said. “We get to poke fun at Shakespeare and pretentious actors. It’s just a fun thing for the community to come out to.”

The production features two different casts with one cast performing April 13 to 15 and the other performing April 20 to 22. While the roles of Rally and Barrymore are the same, the rest of the cast is different. Wolfe said each cast brings something different to the table.

“They have a different energy to them,” Wolfe said. “Although they’ve been in several rehearsals together, a lot of them have just been solo with this group or performed solo with that group, so even watching Rally and Barrymore respond to different casts just brings a different energy to each show.”

Coeur d’Alene resident and first-year NIC Theatre student Victoria Stamper, who will play Deirdre McDavey in the first weekend’s performances, said getting the production together was a lot of work and she hopes people enjoy the show.

“The amount of work and sacrifice everyone has put into this production is crazy,” Stamper said. “I think it’s just important to come out to these and help support your community.”

For more information, contact NIC Director of Theatre Erick Wolfe at 208-769-3220 or erick.wolfe@nic.edu.