Sheboygan Theatre Company Studio Players presents: ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD

By Mary Boyle

Sir Tom Stoppard is a prolific British playwright, who also writes for television and film.  A fan of Shakespeare, two of Stoppard’s best-known works are based on the bard, including the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Ralph Fiennes, among other greats, and his 1966 play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which he rewrote and directed as a film in 1990 starring Gary Oldman and Tim Roth – the only film he ever directed.  While this film was no cinematic hit, it has remained a cult classic among Shakespeare enthusiasts, as it is built on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where Rosencrantz and Guildenstern appear as minor characters.  I have been waiting for over a decade for someone to stage this play and, blessedly, Sheboygan Theatre Company’s Studio Players came to the rescue with their production of ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD.

The title of the play is taken straight from the final scene from Hamlet in which an English Ambassador arrives and announces that "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead."  Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were the childhood friends of Hamlet who are sent for by the King and Queen of Denmark to discover what’s wrong with Hamlet and, eventually, escort him to England.  In Hamlet, they play a very small part in the play; in this play, they are the stars of the show, set in the spaces between the parts of Hamlet where the two characters appear.  We meet the duo on their way to Elsinore, flipping coins and discussing the law of probability.  With no way to refuse the King and Queen’s request, their fear, frustration, and confusion grows as they become caught up in the tragedy.

Directed by Duncan Doherty, this Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is modelled after Laurel and Hardy, the iconic comedic duo who appeared in the age of silent film in the late 1920s and continued in popularity through the early 1950s, which was an inspired choice.  Michael V. Hayes, who plays Rosencrantz, is tall and thin, like Laurel, while Daniel Hennell, who plays Guildenstern, is short and stout like Hardy, so the physical resemblance is there, complete with bowler caps and suits, but the characters are also quite similar in their somewhat dimwitted, yet philosophical, manner, which works perfectly for this slightly dark comedy.  These two characters bear the brunt of the dialog, which is nearly as witty and complex as any written by Shakespeare, and they manage it well. 

The Studio Players was born in 2012, as an offshoot of the Sheboygan Theatre Company, to offer an alternative to their mainstage productions in an intimate black box space – in this case, at the 8th Street Ale Haus Taproom (next door from the bar/restaurant), located at 1132 N 8th Street in Sheboygan.  While the “theater” is lacking in sound and lighting technology, the actors make the most of the space, which offers an opportunity to get up close and personal with both the play and the players, as well as a chance to see some rare productions outside of Milwaukee’s theatre district. 

The remaining cast consists of Jeff Kelm as Claudius/Tragedian, Paul Kobylorz as Alfred/Polonius/Horatio, Amy Jo Krueger as The Player, Samuel Loomans as Hamlet/Tragedian/Spy, Judith Maupin as Gertrude/Tragedian, and Corrine M. Schultz as   Ophelia/Tragedian/Ambassador/Soldier.  As with most community theatre, some of the actors are steeped in STC history, while others are brand new, but the strength is in the whole, and this is a strong cast.  Despite two intermissions, this production moves quickly and is sure to delight fans of Shakespeare or anyone wishing to broaden their live theatre experience. 

ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD runs through April 28th at the 8th Street Ale Haus Taproom (next door from the bar/restaurant), located at 1132 N 8th Street in Sheboygan.  Tickets may be purchased online at https://www.stcshows.org/ for Saturday, April 27th at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 28th at 2 p.m.  Join STC Studio Players for their final show in May, RENT!
 
About Sheboygan Theatre Company
Originally known as Community Players, Sheboygan Theatre Company (STC) was founded in 1934 when talented citizens from nearly 30 separate theatre groups combined to provide quality entertainment on the shore of Lake Michigan. In 90 seasons, STC has experienced many changes, but our commitment to quality has never diminished.  STC produces at least four Main Stage shows each year in the Leslie W. Johnson Theatre on the Horace Mann Middle School campus, as well as smaller productions through our "black box" theatrical group, Studio Players.  STC operates as a non-profit within the Sheboygan Area School District Community Recreation Department and is a volunteer-run organization with a 15-member Advisory Committee.