Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Tom Stoppard's 1966 foray into existential musing, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, recasts two minor characters from Hamlet as the protagonists in their own play. Taking place mainly when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern would have been offstage in Hamlet, the story is centered on the duo's humorous blathering. While superficially nonsensical, the dialogue brings weighty themes to light: the quest for order in a disordered universe, free will versus determinism, and language's ability to obfuscate rather than clarify. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead is being performed in rotating repertory with Hamlet, utilizing the same cast and set, allowing audiences to experience the interconnectedness of the works. Ooh, how postmodern! At the Hilberry Theatre, 4743 Cass Ave., Detroit;