**** Recommended Although the Court Theatre has mounted an outstanding production, some of you – like my guest, Helen – might find Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead heavy going. Indeed, I felt like I was watching Waiting for Godot, one of the most boring plays ever written! The questions of the day - who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and why should we care? Tom Stoppard’s absurdist play, a riff on a line from the final scene in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, tries to answer those questions. 3 ½ Spotlights
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern first appeared in 1966 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, followed by a run at the Old Vic. It had a year-long run on Broadway in 1967-68, winning four Tony Awards including Best Play. This is Charles Newell’s final directing project before he transitions to a new position, Senior Artistic Consultant.
Standing in front of a red curtain and dressed from head to foot in white, Rosencrantz (Nate Burger) and Guildenstern (Erik Hellman), are killing time by betting on coin flips. Both of them are clueless, since Rosencrantz always bets on heads and wins, while Guildenstern never changes his bet and continues to lose. Finally getting suspicious, he suggests that something more than luck might just be in play. By the way, since neither Rosencrantz nor Guildenstern remembers who’s who, they actually switch identities once or twice.
When the red curtain suddenly drops, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern find themselves in the wings of a theater amidst a troop of players. The players are themselves and at the same time, the characters in Hamlet, leaving Rosencrantz and Guildenstern questioning what is real.
The Player (Lorenzo Rush, Jr. leads the troop, which includes Polonius/Ensemble (Rob Lindley), Ophelia/Ensemble (Charence Higgins), Hamlet/Ensemble (Blake Hamilton Currie), Claudius/Ensemble (Amir Abdullah) and Gertrude/Ensemble (Elizabeth Ledo). As Hamlet plays out offstage, fragments play out onstage. In between, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern try to figure out how and why they became important enough to be executed.
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead has been extended to April 28th at The Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue. Chicago. Parking is free in the adjacent garage, exit gate will open ½ hour after curtain. Running time is 95 minutes, no intermission.
Performances are Wednesdays through Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 and 7:30 pm. Tickets range from $40.50-$82. FYI (773) 753-4472 or www.courttheatre.org.