Rudnick's I Hate Hamlet at the AUK Black Box Theatre

The Drama Program at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) staged its annual Fall theatre production, Paul Rudnick's I Hate Hamlet, at the Black Box Theatre, located on AUK's campus. The play was directed by Assistant Professor of Theatre and Drama, Dr. Kathleen R. Downs, under the auspice of the Music and Drama Department.

Rudnick's play centers on answering the question; "What is great Art?", and tells the story of a successful television actor, Andrew Rally, who was offered the role of a lifetime to play Hamlet, and his internal conflict with whether or not he should accept this role.

The production included performances by veteran AUK actors Khalid Ghaffar, Eamon Issa, and Alison Koushki, as well as newcomers to the University's theatre community Nada Helmy, Natasha Sharma and Samer Abou Zeid.

This play is set inside an apartment that was once owned by famed and deceased actor John Barrymore, whose ghost is a character within the play. As such, the production crew, which included veteran AUK thespians Dana Mann as Stage Manager, Rateb Shehadeh as Assistant Stage Manager and Understudy to Mr. Zeid, with the help of Ken Downs as Lighting Designer, relied on lighting, costumes, special effects, sounds and stage props to set the moods in the various scenes of the play. This was made possible with the help of some newcomers to the backstage crew, such as Mohammad Hazem, Sondos Al Kansby, Natalie Abu Nassar, Fadi Al Bouni, Abdulmajid El Kassem, Nasser Jadaxel, and Amr Abdulraheem.

The Department of Music and Drama offers a wide range of opportunities for both beginning and advanced students within the context of a liberal arts education. The Music and Drama faculty of talented professionals work closely with students to prepare them for campus concerts and plays, and to academically challenge them in courses on performing arts. The department fosters artistic proficiency, cultural appreciation, a sense of community, and a lifelong commitment to the arts.

The AUK community enjoyed entering the magical world of theatre and actors for four sold-out performances. They look forward to the next theatrical event, planned for this Spring semester.

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 3rd February 2014

Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2014