26-27 Proposal: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead 

By Tom Stoppard

Directed by Harriet Owen-Nixon

Synopsis

From Dramatists Play Service:

“Acclaimed as a modern dramatic masterpiece, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead is the fabulously inventive tale of Hamlet as told from the worm's-eye view of the bewildered Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two minor characters in Shakespeare's play. In Tom Stoppard's best-known work, this Shakespearean Laurel and Hardy finally get a chance to take the lead role, but do so in a world where echoes of Waiting for Godot resound, where reality and illusion intermix, and where fate leads our two heroes to a tragic but inevitable end.”

Vision Statement

“Do you ever think of yourself as actually dead, laying in a box with a lid on it?”, Rosencrantz asks Guildenstern as we join them on their existential journey. They ponder all the things; fate, life, death, the question of free will, this chaotic world, and the futility of everything.

You know, just like any good comedy. Just like any good life.

And who hasn’t posed this question to themselves or others, or some version of this thought? If you haven’t, perhaps you are now.

We know what happens to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, we know where it all ends, we know, We Know, WE KNOW, yet we cannot stop the inevitable, and neither can they.

But we laugh, we enjoy their company, we like them, we watch them march, one step after the other, as they trudge toward their fated doom. We can’t stop them; they can’t stop themselves. 

The futility of it all, laying in a box with a lid on it.

Tom Stoppard builds his characters with clever words and relatable traits, making them human, tragically human.

I imagine Rosencrantz and Guildenstern existing in a life where everything around them begins to fall apart as they move towards their fate; what begins as grand and splendid becomes soiled as the show progresses, culminating in a dystopian landscape. 

Did they only perceive the grandeur, or has it always been decaying? 

We leave it for them to decide, or not. Do they even see it?

They leave it for us to decide, or not. Do we even see it?

Good question: do we even see it?

A testament to good art is standing the test of time, and the explorations in this show are very timely in a divided world, a divided country, a divided state, a divided community.

But will we really see the destruction of our community while it’s happening, or will we look back in hindsight and see the land lay bare and broken?

And a key word here is community. Even with division, we are a community, and we have an amazing community theater. A varied, wild, and wonderful community theater. A Community Theater filled with creatives who have passions, and talents, and opinions. 

GREAT! That’s what we want! That makes art!

If selected, my team of designers and production staff will create the world of R and G, and the performers will show you their world.

Laying in a box, with a lid on it.

And now the nitty gritty:

This is a very funny show, regardless of what I said above. Yes, the themes could be considered dark, but they are also, well, life. And the wordplay, the twists and turns, the heads or tails, it’s funny! Tragically funny, perhaps, but that brings us back to life.  

Known as an absurdist tragicomedy, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead has played throughout the world since it first premiered on August 24th, 1966, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, becoming an iconic piece of modern theater and claiming many Tony awards in 1968, including Best Play. Given the witty dialogue and universal themes, it remains a popular show with audiences and performers.

Set: Leaning into the grand to dystopian idea, think a set that ‘crumbles’ as the show goes on. The bones of the set could be built reusing some existing pieces. I really like the idea of using recognizable set pieces from shows we have already produced that could be revealed as the plot gets deeper into this world/show. This should keep costs down and allow the designer license to bring their vision to the set.

Costumes: The baseline would be Middle Ages/mid-14th-15th century (likely the time-frame Shakespeare would have set Hamlet), with some anachronistic elements; think making up a costume from a costume shop and using whatever was there to make it work. This could also get more hodge podge as the show progressed. The designer would decide their ultimate vision, but this is where we would start.

Cast size: 16

Appropriate age of performers: 16+

Character gender: any of the characters can be any gender. I have researched this and currently there are no limitations on non-traditional gender presenting characters.

This isn't your grandfather's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, it's better. There is a reason this show continues to be produced around the world, it is a classic. But even classics need a new coat of paint every now and then. While staying true to the show, I would like to explore diverse casting and create a unique and powerful canvas on which many artists can paint.