'Hamlet 2' 2008

The Story

Those who can't do, teach. Those who can't get paid work as an actor outside of herpes commercials, teach drama. Failed actor Dana Marschz (he can't even pronounce his own last name so don't even bother trying to wrap your tongue around it) has the enthusiasm to succeed but not the talent, so he turns his attention to teaching drama at a high school in Tucson, Arizona. Yet even there critics can't leave him alone. Actually, it's just one critic who's the thorn in Marschz' side. The kid who writes reviews for the school paper has nothing but negative things to say about Marschz' obsession with putting on plays based on popular movies (Erin Brockovich brought to life by two over-acting high school kids is a sight to behold).

Marschz' class is one of the least popular on campus – he has two diehard students and that's it – until the principal closes down a section of the school. Forced into taking drama, the new students – predominantly Hispanic – don't know what to make of their incredibly bizarre dress-wearing teacher. But before they can really get to know Marschz, the principal announces they're shutting down the drama department. Marschz, passionate and more than a little pathetic, doesn't want to go quietly into the night. Instead of throwing in the towel, he comes up with the idea of staging an original production in order to earn enough money to keep the drama department open.

Marschz has a big heart but he's not the sharpest tool in the shed. After hours of frustration and arguments with a cat who won't fight back, Marschz comes up with an original musical that's sure to be a hit. Marschz goes where no man or woman should ever go - he writes Hamlet 2 – the sequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet. Hamlet's ending was such a bummer that Marschz believes it deserves to be reshaped. Marschz feels he can do Shakespeare one better by rewriting the ending to Hamlet, adding in a time-traveling Jesus with rockin' abs and a swimmer's bod, and a handful of catchy tunes.

Of course no one outside the kids in his class (who were all a hard sells other than his two dedicated students) wants Marschz to put on this play. It's controversial, profanity-laden, and offensive. But Marschz and his students won't be deterred and the show will go on – despite protests, death threats, and a lack of good taste.