Hamlet is the ghost that keeps coming and two Milwaukee filmmakers, Bobby Ciraldo and Andrew Swant, have produced a new rendition of the familiar story with Hamlet A.D.D.
The tone is mock serious. As the stentorian voice on the trailer intones, it’s a “timeless classic 400 years in the making.” In H.A.D.D., Shakespeare’s love story lives on, the murder mystery is played up and sci-fi elements are introduced, including robots, zombies and space travel. Familiar local faces proliferate, including Mark Borchardt and his buddy Mike Shank, Robert Richard Jorge and (onetime Milwaukeean) Mark Metcalf, along with such international names as stand-up comedian Neil Hamburger and “Star Trek’s” Majel Barrett Roddenberry. H.A.D.D. is written and directed by Ciraldo and Swant, whose past credits include William Shatner’s Gonzo Ballet and production work with Frankie Latina (Modus Operandi).
The premiere takes 7 p.m., May 15 at the Oriental Landmark Theatre, followed by an after-party around the corner from the cinema at Hotel Foster.