And now, another episode of:
The Unnecessary Dramaturg
We open in the dramaturg’s office.
He’s got an office. It’s not clear why.
Also, it’s a he, of course.
Shakespeare is sitting across from the Dramaturg.
DRAMATURG: Listen, Billy, we’re almost there. I’ve only got a couple of notes here for the end of the play. And the first is, why, in the last few minutes of the play are you introducing a whole new character? I mean, the theatre doesn’t have an endless budget for actors and the audience doesn’t need to meet anyone new at this point. Hamlet has died, after all. He’s the guy we care about. What do we need this First Ambassador for? And why is he the First Ambassador when there appears to be no Second? It’s a lot to ask of the audience this late in the game, Bill. Whole new character? You can’t have Fortinbras bring in a letter with the news of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s execution? Or, actually – do we need to know about any of that? It all feels gratuitous, doesn’t it? Or maybe it’s just me. It could be just me.
The Hamlet Project 