“The Comedy of Hamlet! (a prequel)” from Santa Rosa Junior College’s Theatre Arts Department runs from Oct. 3-12 at Burbank Studio Theater.

Written by SRJC theater instructor Reed Martin and Austin Tichenord and directed by Martin, the play is a lighthearted prequel to Shakespeare’s original “Hamlet,” a tragedy of revenge set in Denmark in the early 1600s.

“When we set out to write the play, my co-author Austin and I wondered, ‘Well, what was happening in Elson? Or just before the events that we learn about in Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet?’” Martin said.

“There is something to laugh at for everyone,” said theater arts major Jathon Reynolds, who plays the title role of Hamlet.

Reynolds went on to say the show has a tight-knit cast that laughed its way through the production process.

“Reed’s a great director, and he’s directing his own show, which is kind of epic,” he added.

“The Comedy of Hamlet (a prequel)” is Martin’s first studio theater production. On the subject of challenges Martin said, “Well, for visual jokes, I’m trying to make sure all the audience members see everything at the same time.”

The play originally premiered in 2019 and was set to roll out in 2020, but was put off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This time Martin has a larger cast at his disposal in SRJC’s rendition. “We have a cast of 11, so that’s been fun to spread those parts around,” he said.

The show runs through Oct. 12, with evening and matinee showings. Tickets and more are available at srjc.universitytickets.com and range from $15 to $25.