The student director of the first No Refund Theatre for the semester has compared his play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, to Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. The story explores the intricate philosophies of what it means to exist. Although the story is tragic, the characters find a way to ascertain their way of thinking through comedy.

"The basic idea of the play is it is a retelling of Hamlet but inside out. It focuses on the smallest characters (of Hamlet) as the stars. All other characters are insignificant," said Jeremy Owens, director of the play.

In Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are small characters that are only seen when they show up to talk to Hamlet. In this play, written by Tom Stoppard, the story begins with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, childhood friends of Hamlet's, as they are summoned to the castle by King Claudius to figure out Hamlet's depressive and mad state of mind. On their journey, they run into many of the characters that appear in Hamlet who offer them advice along the way.

A major stipulation in the story is that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern know only the information given to them by the characters on stage. They have no background story, and are dependent upon the information revealed to them by the other characters they interact with.

"The play questions if, one, can you be a small character in life? Are there small roles in the real world?" said Owens.

Stoppard doesn't seem to think so because although this play is based on Hamlet's small characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in leading roles, they don't accomplish much more than they did in Hamlet.

"It is two people trying to figure out if they define their own existence or if the world around them does," actor John Constantine, said.

Owens said that the play would make more sense if one has read or seen William Shakesphere's Hamlet, so he has added a synopsis into the program to update anyone who is not familiar with the story of Hamlet.

Constantine is performing the role of Rosencrantz and describes his character as "More aloof and goofy. He is more child-like and the comic. He is slow on the pick-up and a whole lot of fun to play."

Constantine has acted in Jesus the Missing Year and The Karl is Dead Show for NRT.

Guildenstern, a role played by Dan Thompson, approaches life much differently than his friend. "My character is convinced that he has everything under control when he doesn't at all. It is sort of the comedy of the character.

The show is about the characters being defined by what they are told on stage. They are fun parts, mostly comedic, yet there is a very tragic attachment to characters. The audience doesn't want to see their fate."

Thompson has acted in the plays And She Was and Boy's Life for the NRT.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead can be seen at 8 p.m. today and tomorrow in 111 Forum.

Admission is free and all donations will go towards IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon.