Theater Review -- Tom Titus

Two burning questions surround the production of “Fortinbras Gets

Drunk” at UC Irvine’s Studio Theater: Whatever possessed playwright

Janusz Glowacki to create such nightmarish twaddle, and what on earth

motivated the university’s drama department to foist it on UCI audiences?

Writing plays based on minor characters from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”

certainly isn’t an original idea; Tom Stoppard perfected the art decades

ago with “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.” What Glowacki has

accomplished with this fringe player from the last scene of “Hamlet”

borders on the grotesque.

“Fortinbras Gets Drunk” is absurdist farce carried to the point of no

return in director Scott Werve’s ambitious but fatally flawed

interpretation. Werve places the action in a half-dozen different staging

areas on all sides of the audience, with several scenes unfolding

simultaneously. It’s up to the playgoer to determine the area of focus.

Werve also attempts to employ an interactive staging device -- buttons

are placed on rails throughout the audience, and playgoers are encourages

to press their buttons to alter the course of the story. Judging by what

transpires onstage, these buttons are being pushed constantly.

The only button this show really pushes is the audience’s level of

toleration. A good share of the playgoers escaped at intermission, with

most of the rest probably wishing they dared do the same, but figuring

“this has to get better.” No, not necessarily.

Despite all the hallucinogenic nonsense all around him, Glenn Kalison

manages to forge a mighty performance as the tippling title character,

the prince of Norway who is soon to succeed Claudius on Denmark’s throne

-- if malevolent forces don’t eliminate him first. When it came to

carnage, the bloodthirsty Danes apparently had nothing on the Norwegians.

Amanda Schmieder ravenously attacks her evil, scheming character known

as Eight Eyes, although we’re well into the play before we realize who,

in fact, she is. Andrea Troilo is deliciously effective as Dagny Borg, a

Norwegian seductress, and Jeff Takacs registers a high-voltage

performance as Sternborg, scourge of Norway’s crafty plotters.

A few characters from “Hamlet” make waves in “Fortinbras.” The Danish

prince himself, powder flying off his wig, is given a robust, sinewy

portrayal by Nathan LL Makaryk, Jeff Farkash is a devious Polonius, and

Milt Tarver does strong double duty as the ghosts of both Hamlet’s and

Fortinbras’ fathers.

The most creative element of the show is Samantha White’s costuming --

a melange of kitchen utensils and souvenirs from the garbage bin.

Fortinbras’ armor consists of hundreds of beer bottle caps, while the

king of Norway is represented by an overflowing trash can and Finland’s

ruler by a sculpture of playing cards.

Following the show’s model of enforced unconventionality, black-clad

stagehands emerge frequently to furnish required props or costume

changes. There’s even a huge stuffed moose on hand, watching stoically

over the proceedings -- until the second act, when he wisely turns his

back on the action.

See “Fortinbras Gets Drunk” at the risk to your own mental health. Had

Shakespeare witnessed what Glowacki has done with the characters he

created, it most likely would have driven him to drink.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Thursdays and Saturdays.

FYI

* What: “Fortinbras Gets Drunk”

* Where: UC Irvine Studio Theater, UCI campus, corner of Campus and

University drives

* When: Closing performances 8 p.m. today and Friday, 2 and 8 p.m.

Saturday

* Cost: $9

* Call: (949) 824-2787