“I Hate Hamlet” Co-Star Walks Out
The New York Times
By ALEX WITCHEL
Published: May 4, 1991
Evan Handler, a co-star of "I Hate Hamlet," left the stage near the end of the first act Thursday night, gave his notice, and walked out of the Walter Kerr Theater. Mr. Handler's unplanned departure came after a dueling scene with Nicol Williamson, the play's star, who apparently ignored the choreography and struck Mr. Handler on the back with the flat part of his sword. Andrew Mutnick, Mr. Handler's understudy, finished the performance.
The unrehearsed exit came after weeks of erratic behavior by Mr. Williamson that has disrupted the "Hamlet" company both on stage and off. The star has publicly criticized the script of the play, by Paul Rudnick, which is about a sitcom actor, played by Mr. Handler, who is visited by the ghost of John Barrymore, played by Mr. Williamson. He has also criticized the performances of the other actors, and, it has been reported, often left the stage when his character was supposed to be observing the action around him.
During a scene in the first act on Thursday, said James B. Freydberg, one of the show's producers, Mr. Williamson began coaching Mr. Handler and Jane Adams, who plays his girlfriend, while all three were on stage.
Mr. Freydberg, who was in the theater, recalled: "In the middle of the scene Nicol suddenly said: 'Put some life into it! Use your head! Give it more life!' to Mr. Handler and Ms. Adams. He felt the scene was too slow." The producer said there was no noticeable reaction from the audience, who may have thought the incident was part of the script. A Miss With the Swords
The act continued uninterrupted, Mr. Freydberg said, until its final scene, in which the two actors duel. "In the first movement of the fight, when the swords are supposed to hit, this time they missed. Nicol later said he thought that Evan was pulling something on him, and Evan felt that Nicol was pulling something on him. It's a very intricate choreography, and the truth is, it really may have been an innocent miss on both their parts."
Mr. Freydberg said the rest of the duel was thrown off, and when it came to the part where Mr. Williamson is supposed to nick Mr. Handler from behind, he actually hit him with the sword.
"When that happened," Mr. Freydberg said, "Evan walked straight through the door on the set, and out."
That left Mr. Williamson onstage alone. Mr. Freydberg said the actor turned to the audience and said, "Well, should I sing?"
The actor continued: "It seems someone who has missed a few parries has elected to leave the stage, which unless one is very, very sick is an unprofessional thing to do. Please excuse us. We'll begin the second act as quickly as possible."
He was applauded by the audience, which included Gregory Peck and Elaine Stritch, and the curtain came down. After intermission, the second act was played without incident, with Mr. Mutnick in Mr. Handler's role.
Reached by telephone Friday, Mr. Handler said, "I removed myself from the production because from the first day of rehearsals I have endured the show's producers condoning Nicol Williamson's persistent abusiveness to other cast members."
"When it came to the fight onstage," Mr. Handler continued, "Nicol never learned it adequately. Actors Equity requires he know the choreography, but he wouldn't go to fight rehearsals. I think he got embarrassed at not knowing the fight, then became angry and struck me, which was when I left the stage."
"I can safely say," he continued, "that never in my 13 years in the professional theater have I been asked to put up with anything remotely resembling the kind of behavior and indulgences that went on in this production. Nicol Williamson is an extraordinarily gifted actor and a person the rest of us have to put up with until he finishes killing himself."
Mr. Williamson's agent, Ed Betz, said that the actor would not be available for comment about the onstage incident. "Evan getting hit with the sword was an accident," he maintained.
Mr. Freydberg said, "When two above-the-title actors have a problem they have to work it out themselves."
Mr. Freydberg said that Mr. Williamson had a six-month contract with "I Hate Hamlet," and that Mr. Mutnick would go on for Mr. Handler while auditions were held for a replacement. He said Mr. Mutnick was "a major contender" for the role.
Mr. Handler said he planned to join a new television series this summer, directed by James Brooks, after appearing in a one-act play marathon at the Ensemble Studio Theater.
Mr. Williamson has been a historically difficult performer. In the 1976 Broadway production of "Rex," in which he starred, he struck an actor during a curtain call one night because he had spoken to someone next to him during Mr. Williamson's bow.
Mr. Handler, who was not hurt Thursday night, said he was considering legal action against Mr. Williamson. Mr. Freydberg said he had told Mr. Williamson that he used bad judgment and "certainly precipitated" the incident in the duel scene.
"If you have a problem with another actor's performance you work it out offstage," Mr. Freydberg said. "Evan's dignity in front of an audience was impaired. Nicol created that and it was very, very wrong. Evan was absolutely right in leaving the production."
