A Hamlet

A Hamlet is an episode of Down in Moonshine Holler.

Audio

Patreon exclusive.

Cast

WorkJuice Players

• Banjo Bindlestuff - Craig Cackowski
• Gummy - Hal Lublin
• Kermit - Mark Gagliardi

Guest Stars

• Cordelia - Alexandra Barreto
• Lilian Bismark - Janet Varney
• Elijah Shinplaster - Richard Speight, Jr.
• Mr. Coinsax - Bill Corbett
• Ms. Dollarhyde - Molly Quinn
• Mr. Greenhelder - Kevin Murphy
• Narrator - Kevin Murphy

Musical Guests

• Brian Murphy

Plot

Gummy wakes Banjo, as it's already noon and Banjo is still sleeping under a blanket of newspaper. They say that the hamlet they have found themselves in looks to be a fair one, and jump out of the boxcar. They spy a theater in a nearby field. Gummy says hobos love theater, the scottish play is held in hobo hearts, and they're not afraid to say "Macbeth", as it's good luck when spoken to tramps, so they both say it several times. Gummy suggests the hobo princess could be on the stage, so the pair make their way to the theater.

Inside the theater, Kermit, Lilian and Cordelia rehearse, but are disheartened because Kermit's stepfather is going to tear down the theater and instead use the land to raise pigs and build a slaughterhouse. They were planning on putting on a production of Hamlet as their last show. Lilian and Banjo flirt while Kermit explains their roles, and how his father had built the theater, but was killed by a falling canopy. When Shinplaster married Kermit's mother and took over, he rebuilt the marquee that killed Kermit's father, though now plans on tearing the place down.

Lilian suggests that perhaps Banjo has come to save them, calling him a knight. Banjo adamantly demands he's a poor hobo, and not a noble gentry. The actors suggest that Banjo and Gummy can help them put on the production, and give Banjo the role of Hamlet, Kermit as Horatio, Cordelia as Gertrude, Lilian as Ophelia, and Gummy as the Ghost of Hamlet's father. Act one ends as they adjourn backstage to rehearse.

Elijah Shinplaster arrives, and taunts his stepson and friends. Gummy tells Banjo he needs to save the theater the Hobo Way - by putting on the play and raising the human spirit, moving Shinplaster to save the stage. Shinplaster laughs at this and says tonight is the last play, he plans on laughing through his stepson's sadness, then tearing the place down the next day.

The gentry arrive, and speak with Shinplaster, saying that they enjoy the Bard's work so much they had to come see the performance.

Cordelia makes the curtains go, the play begins and is going very well. As Gummy gives the Ghost's soliloquy, Shinplaster interrupts the performance to ask why they accuse him of murdering Kermit's father, then immediately confesses to the murder, so moved by the play and overwhelmed by guilt. Kermit, however, is still distraught, as the theater still still belongs to Shinplaster and they don't have the money to save the theater.

After speaking amongst themselves about how moving the play was, the gentry offer to become patrons of the theater, in exchange for the promise that they'll be so moved at every performance. The actors and gentry leave to celebrate.

Gummy notes that the resolution hadn't seemed so clear to him as it had to Banjo. Banjo confesses that he knew what would happen as he'd read the papers he'd been sleeping under that morning, and had put together the murder from what he'd read. Gummy admonishes Banjo for putting together the solution to the problem via reading newspapers and not using his wits. Banjo should outsmart people, not be the conduit by which they outsmart each other. Upset, Gummy stomps off.

Lilian asks Banjo to stay there with her, which causes Gummy to begin his own soliloquy wherein he considers Lilian's offer, but rejects it in order to keep searching for his Hobo Princess. Banjo says he set out only to find his princess, but instead also found a mentor and uncle in Gummy. Gummy says he's proud of Banjo and that Banjo has passed the hobo's toughest test. Banjo says goodbye to Lilian, who kisses his sooted cheek before leaving with Gummy to the train they hear in the distance.

Notes

• A Hamlet was a touring episode, also performed at The Bell House in New York in October 2013 and Largo in April 2014.
• Panel from NerdHQ at San Diego Comic-Con 2013 mentions Annie Savage playing a Moonshine Holler character and getting the direction "like Dorothy Parker but not as dumb," likely referring to Cordelia.
• The episode was written and performed in iambic pentameter.
• Three stagehands are mentioned, one named Todd, which is likely a reference to Todd Cooper, who is the curtaineer for the Thrilling Adventure Hour.

Continuity

• This is the 171st episode of The Thrilling Adventure Hour.
• The previous episode is Sparks Nevada, Marshal on Mars - Inventor-y.
• The next episode is Beyond Belief - The Bloodsucker Proxy.
• The previous episode in Down in Moonshine Holler canon is Nativity Ploy (TAH #84).
• The next episode in Down in Moonshine Holler canon is Just Desserts (TAH #194).

Production

This episode was recorded at C2E2 in Chicago on April 26, 2014 and released on June 23, 2014.

• Writers: Ben Acker and Ben Blacker
• Director: Aaron Ginsburg
• Music: Andy Paley Orchestra
• Sound Effects: Cayenne Chris Conroy