Hamlet 2 2008

As Dana Marschz (Steve Coogan) navigates the arid landscape of his creative existence, the once-promising actor-turned-teacher finds himself stuck in a rut, peddling mediocrity in Tucson’s high school drama department. His marriage to Brie (Catherine Keener) is marked by an unspoken tension, as they jointly struggle to conceive and make ends meet, with the added pressure of taking on a boarder, Gary (David Arquette), who brings his own brand of chaos into their lives.

When word reaches him that drama class has been axed due to budgetary constraints, Dana seizes upon an unlikely solution: penning an original play in a desperate bid for attention and funding. His magnum opus, Hamlet 2, is a risqué and irreverent sequel to the Bard’s classic, replete with scatological humor and pop culture references that are as jarring as they are jolting.

As news of the controversial production spreads like wildfire through the school and town, Dana’s students - Rand Posin (Skylar Astin), a closeted soul yearning for artistic expression; Epiphany Sellers (Phoebe Strole), a well-meaning but misguided enthusiast; Ivonne (Melonie Diaz), a down-to-earth realist; and Octavio (Joseph Julian Soria), a tough-as-nails kid with a heart of gold - band together, pooling their meager resources to bring Dana’s unorthodox vision to life in a warehouse-turned-theater. As the curtain rises on this DIY spectacle, an array of dazzling visual and aural special effects will transport audiences to a world that is equal parts absurd and sublime.