Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
September 14, 2006
"Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead" by Tom Stoppard
Grove Press Reprint Edition
A satirical take on Shakespeare's "Hamlet," this play follows the actions of two minor characters, Hamlet's school friends Rosencrantz & Guildenstern, who are called in to cheer up the prince and later to escort him to his death, yet are betrayed and end up being killed themselves. Taking place in the time between their "Hamlet" scenes, the play has the two discussing their existence and the meaning of the actions surrounding them. "Waiting to Godot" is the obvious reference point, yet "R&G" is more accessible as its characters are based in a well-known work (and Stoppard is wittier than Beckett). This is one of the few classics of stage comedy to be written in the last few decades, and though its existentialist flavor might turn off some audience members, it's great for anyone who loves Shakespeare but doesn't feel the need to take him too seriously.
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