Cocktail Party Fact: Guildenstern and Rosencrantz were notable Danish family names of the 16th century. The only time Hamlet uses the royal “we” in Shakespeare’s play is when he dismisses them in the third act. Hamlet sends them off to be killed in England in his place, and their fate is reported bluntly in the fifth act with the line “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead.”

Here’s The Plot: The play concerns two minor characters from Hamlet who we see discussing their own fates and their lack of heroic stature. Their naturalistic dialogue is juxtaposed against scenes of poetry from the original play. It asks a question to all: how many of us are Hamlets in this life, and how many secondary characters such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

Memorable Moment: A speech which sums up the tone of the work: “No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be; am an attendant Lord, one that will do; To swell a progress, start a scene or two.”

Vital Statistics: Penned by Tom Stoppad, this work was first performed in 1967 at the National Theater in London.

Why See It?: As an example of Stoppard’s talents for wordplay and literary games, this play is the perfect introduction to one of contemporary theater’s masters of the English language. His pieces may often seem more of the mind than of the heart, but what a brilliant mind.