‘I Hate Hamlet’ to shed light on teacher-student conflict

"I Hate Hamlet"

When: 8 p.m. Feb. 19, 20, 26 and 27; 2 p.m. Feb. 21, 27 and 28

Where: Fairfield Community Arts Center, 411 Wessel Drive

Cost: $12 adults, $10 seniors/students. Call (513) 867-5348

FAIRFIELD — To hate or not to hate? That is the question when it comes to the Fairfield Footlighters’ production of “I Hate Hamlet,” opening Friday, Feb. 19.

The show reveals what happens when a hotshot “method” actor tries to play the title character of the Shakespeare play, and the ghost of the legendary John Barrymore tries to set him straight.

The scenario brings to mind the famous story about the conflict between Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier when the two made the 1976 film “The Marathon Man.” Hoffman is a devotee of the “method” style of performing, which calls for actors to “live” their parts and draw from real life. Olivier was a classically-trained actor who shunned such techniques.

When Hoffman was struggling with some of his scenes, Olivier allegedly scoffed, “Try acting. It’s not supposed to be real.”

Such is the conflict in “I Hate Hamlet,” director Heidi Schiller said. Even though the characters have different approaches, they’re after the same result.

Michael Watson of Fairfield plays Barrymore’s ghost, which poses a particular challenge for him. He takes a lot of his cues from Schiller.

“I go off of her. If I try to emulate someone else, it becomes more difficult than creating a character in yourself. I have no professional training. I developed the personality. I’ve never done any Shakespeare at all,” he said.

Michael C. Potter of Cincinnati plays Andrew, the untested method actor.

“I guess I see him as one of these new Hollywood kids who’s fresh-faced and new to the scene. He’s done nothing real huge, but enough to think he’s kind of big-time,” Potter said.

Andrew quickly finds out he has a lot to learn.

“It’s kind of the same appreciation you get from the maturation process. As you grow older and you learn more, you learn the old style still has merit and you see how the process has evolved,” Potter said.