Kelly is an instructor of creative writing and literature. In this essay, Kelly examines the ways in which I Hate Hamlet weakens its dramatic impact by being unclear about how important the Shakespearean tradition really is.

Some people like Paul Rudnick's play I Hate Hamlet because it tries so hard to please its audiences, while others resent it for just the same reason. The play, a favorite of community theater and college productions, addresses serious issues about art and integrity, but it does not address them with much depth. With topics that range from high culture to television commercials, it has something for everyone, and little to offend anyone.

Critics have faulted Rudnick for taking such a superficial approach to his material, but it could just as well be said that the play is successful as a work of art, because it achieves exactly what it sets...