To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing, end them.

– Hamlet’s third soliloquy

Chicago Tribune | Maureen Ryan | The Watchie Awards

I’ve been meaning to look up links and information on the Canadian comedy series “Slings and Arrows” for a while now. It’s been on the Sundance Channel.

It’s a theatrical comedy, with wit and barbs as sharp as rapiers (“Buttons OFF!”). The main character is Geoffrey, an actor who’s gone a little crazy since his last appearance at the New Burbage Shakespeare Festival, when he totally lost it while playing Hamlet one night. He returns to take the reins as interim artistic director, and also to spend a lot of time arguing with the ghost of his mentor, Oliver. That the company is putting on a controversial production of Hamlet just adds to his aggravations.

There’s a memorable party scene early on that sets up a lot of the comedic conflict for Geoffrey, who battles with just about everyone during the series, including himself and his ghostly buddy, Oliver. He goes to his ex-girlfriend’s house, to a party that he is specifically and pointedly not invited to attend, and of course being completely drunk, challenges the play’s director to a duel with fencing foils. They have a history, too. Hence, the “buttons OFF” comment. A wacky duel ensues, which only ends when the mousy stage manager, who’s had more than enough to drink herself, declaims loudly, “ACTORS! Yerrrrr all the same…” and ending up, “Well, fuck you. FUCK YOU. FUCK YOU allllll.” She collapses into her drink as everyone else spontaneously decides the party’s over.

I took her speech as something backstage staff (especially assitant directors and stage managers) have been dying to say to actors all their professional lives. From the backstage info, it’s apparent that this project is most definitely written by actors, about actors, for actors.

I’m happy to see that there’ll be a second season, where the company will take a whack at “the Scottish play.”