Seeing Hamlet With a Twist or Even a Raised Mug During my fifth beer, "The Hamlet Project" got even funnier. That's impressive considering the show, billed as a "drinking theatrical event," was already amusing during beers one through four. This daffy version of Shakespeare's tragedy is staged in a Midtown bar and preceded by a rundown of the rules: certain words, when spoken by the characters, signal the crowd to drink; signs are raised to prompt applause; a volunteer is recruited to play Polonius, script in hand. The text remains fairly intact, with some droll additions: Laertes returns to Yale rather than France; Hamlet is banished to New Jersey, not England; a version of beer pong replaces the sword fight. It's gimmicky, of course, and theatergoers uneager to participate should probably stay away. But the cast members" energy is infectious, with their attitudes more like peppy college cheerleaders than snarky English majors. Paul Kite, as Claudius, is surprisingly effective. David Hudson's Hamlet is fittingly morose; his "To be or not to be" speech is heartfelt (though the great "How all occasions" section has been cut, a result of Fortinbras being deleted from the play. It would have gone over well here.) Emily Trask, as Ophelia, finds several nice moments, while Matt Bradley, as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, is uproarious. His handling of two characters simultaneously is a surprise better seen than described. Beth Gardiner's direction is fast-paced, though staging the piece on the flat floor in front of the audience isn't ideal; many viewers stand. Putting it in the round, amid the crowd, might have been a better choice. Though the actors occasionally go overboard to force a laugh - four-letter words sneak in too often - the 2 hours and 10 minutes speed by. The $10 ticket price is also worth noting. At the risk of overanalyzing, the show even offers insights into the text, using the original words in an unusual context to elicit unexpected reactions. Quite a bit more happens during "The Hamlet Project" - audience voting is used, as is the bar's pool table. Because of all those cold beers, I can't remember every detail. But I do recall having a pretty good time.