(SPRING LAKE, NJ) -- South Street Players presents I Hate Hamlet by Paul Rudnick across two weekends from February 13-22, 2026. In Rudnick's play, television star Andrew Rally is about to start rehearsals to play Hamlet, and he is terrified. 

Unsure of himself, worried about his career, Andrew doesn't know what to do. In the midst of his confusion, he is visited by the ghost of legendary actor John Barrymore. Barrymore explains that all actors who take on the role are visited and mentored by their predecessors, and that he cannot leave Andrew until he takes the stage as Hamlet.

Andrew's girlfriend wants him to be a romantic hero of the stage, his friend wants him to accept a lucrative new TV gig, and Barrymore wants him to accept his own great theatrical mantle. As Andrew grows under Barrymore's larger-than-life wing, he is forced to confront the ultimate question: who he wants to be, or not to be.

The cast includes Jack Gibney (Andrew Rally), Bill King (John Barrymore), Emily Mangiavillano (Deirdre McDavey), Annette Curran (Lillian Troy), Kathy Janovic (Felicia Dantine), and Michael Randazza (Gary Peter Lefkowitz). The production is directed by Melanie Taylor.

Performances take place Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm; and Sundays at 2:00pm. Tickets are available for purchase online. All performances are in Wesley Hall (4th and Mercer Streets) in Spring Lake, New Jersey.