Directed by Holly Rose, I Hate Hamlet graces the stage at the Knutzen Family Theatre until February 1.

The story unfolds like this: A young and successful television actor relocates to New York, where he rents a marvelous, gothic apartment.

With his television career in limbo, the actor is offered the opportunity to play Hamlet onstage, but there's one problem: He hates Hamlet.

His dilemma deepens with the entrance of John Barrymore's ghost, who arrives intoxicated and in full costume to the apartment that once was his.

The contrast between the two actors, the towering, dissipated Barrymore whose Hamlet was the greatest of his time, and Andrew Rally, hot young television star, leads to a wildly funny duel over women, art, success, duty, television, and yes, the apartment.

The Village Voice calls it "fast-mouthed and funny. It has the old-fashioned Broadway virtues of brightness without pretensions and sentimentality without morals."

The NY Times refers to the play as "unapologetically silly and at times hilarious.affectionately amusing about the theatre."

The play opened January 23 and will run until February 1, with shows during the weekend.

The performances starts at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. A matinee show will take place Sundays at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $16 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. They are available for purchase at www.brownpapertickets.com or at the Knutzen Family Theatre, located at 3200 SW Dash Point Road. You may also call the box office at 253-835-2020 for tickets.