The Globe’s current repertory highlighted by classic Stoppard play

By Charlene Baldridge | Theater Critic

With Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,” which opened July 2 in the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, The Old Globe completes the Shakespeare Festival’s triumvirate of outdoor productions. Including Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the three alternate in repertory through Sept. 26, 28 and 29 respectively.

Seeing Stoppard’s wizardry – an existential take on two minor players who have wandered in from “Hamlet” not quite knowing where they are or what they’re doing – is the Bardophile’s delight. Seeing the “stretch” this Adrian Noble-directed work provides the actors adds to the fun.

Jay Whittaker, so impressive as Oberon/Theseus in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” portrays Guildenstern, the stronger, yet still uncertain of the two major characters in Stoppard’s work. John Lavelle, who plays Snug the Joiner in “Dream” and Lancelot Gobbo in “Merchant,” plays Rosencrantz.

Triney Sandoval, who plays Snout and the clownish Gratiano in the aforementioned plays, displays just the right amount of overweening, unctuous oiliness as King Claudius – Hamlet’s usurping uncle – in the Stoppard comedy. Sherman Howard is imposing vocally and physically as The Player King.

Playgoers may remember Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. In “Hamlet,” they portray the title character’s former classmates, sent for by Claudius and Hamlet’s mother when the lad displays insanity in his quest for revenge. In reality, they are asked to spy on their friend, to discover the causes of his melancholy and strange behavior.

One of the inside jokes here is that Stoppard’s Hamlet is played by Lucas Hall, who portrayed Shakespeare’s Hamlet the last time The Globe produced the major work.

In Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz,” the pair – constantly misidentified by Claudius and Gertrude – also constantly misidentify themselves. Apparently they are offstage, cast in a film production of “Hamlet,” and yet they do not know this and remember nothing of the play, of which pieces begin to materialize. To entertain themselves while waiting for they-know-not-what to commence, they indulge in a game of tennis and coin tossing, Guildenstern to Rosencrantz. The coins, pocketed by Rosencrantz, always come up heads.

Then, The Players appear, on their way to Hamlet in Shakespeare’s play. Stoppard tantalizes his audience and his bewildered protagonists with bits of the Shakespeare play, including Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s embassy to England with the exiled Hamlet in tow, and beyond to Shakespeare’s final scene at Elsinore when the only one left standing is Hamlet’s friend Horatio (played by Nic Few).

It is not until the Ambassador utters the 11th hour phrase, “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead,” that our intrepid, bewildered duo realizes that they are indeed dead. The fun along the way is absolutely delicious.

Whittaker and Lavelle on stage, and Stoppard and Noble behind the scenes cannot be praised enough for providing the high point of summer. It is a fitting farewell to Noble, who completes his final season as Shakespeare Festival artistic director.

There are few places left on the planet where one may enjoy true repertory. This is one. Make sure to add one or all of these productions to your summer entertainment agenda. Doing so will allow you to enjoy the glory of repertory, which is seeing the same actors play multiple roles within a week, and even less.

“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead”
WHERE: The Old Globe Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way (Balboa Park)
WHEN: In repertory through Sept. 26
INFO:619-234-5623
WEB: theoldglobe.org