Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead

A commentary by Patrick Shannon III

NOCCA Students recently braved a production in of Tom Stoppard's

play, Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead in the NIMS Blackbox

Theater on campus. Just the thought that these students would

even attempt to do his opaque and difficult play was a triumph

and I was anxious to see their staging.

As fate would have it I was ill and arrived late, only being able

to see about 45 minutes of their work. I was very impressed.

With little more than costumes and a few props they were able to

swim through this convoluted plot about two minor characters from

Shakespeare's Hamlet as imagined by the playwright Mr. Stoppard,

not only presenting us a view of a curious take on what happens

to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern after Shakespeare's quick use of

them from what is considered by many to be the Bard's own most

opaque drama but doing it by acting strange roles in a play as

dense and brilliant as Hamlet. Also, playwright Stoppard loves

words and word play and tricks of the language. He delves deeply

into deep ideas. The style, subject matter, and rhythm of his

language is no easy thing to do well. His plays appeal more so

to the intellectual patron than perhaps those who like simpler

theater and musicals.

Therefore it is with great pleasure that I can say that what I

saw and heard done by the NOCCA students with Mr. Stoppard's

puzzle of a play was most admirable. Each student took what

could easily have become an intangible ghost of a role and made

it human, warm, and memorable.

The spoke the lines with clarity and uncurled the whirligig

speeches with confidence. I especially liked the strong stage

presence and self confidence of Rudy Rihner (Rosencrantz) and

Mauricio Le Sage (Guildenstern and the beautifully spoken young

actress, Azalea Fairley who played Queen Gertrude. Her royalty

was self evident as she carried herself with such dignity across

the stage..

Among the other players who helped unravel this kitty-twisted

yarn of many knotted or simple lengths of fuzzy woolen ideas were

Zachary Beaulieu (The Player), Evan Citanovic (Polonius and

Tragedian, Carl Harrison (Player, King Horatio), Andrew Landry

(Ambassador, Tragedian, Servant), Marc Linam (Claudius), Deshawn

Dabney (Tragedian, Soldier), Connor Flynn (Alfred) and Catherine

Rodrigues (Ophelia).

The play was directed with wit and energy by Mauricio Le Sage and

Rudy Rihner.

The works of Tom Stoppard are a thick and heavy dish to be served

so well by such young actors and technicians. They did the whole

recipe and served it all with style, gusto, and humor, seeming to

enjoy each moment they shared on stage. And so did we.