Two and a half months worth of rehearsals will take center stage as the Theater Department presents William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” opening on Oct. 20 and Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern” opening Oct. 27.

“Hamlet” tells the story of the prince of Denmark, who retaliates for the murder of his father by his uncle and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two characters that are watching Prince Hamlet and just trying to find their roles in life.

John Zamora, theater arts instructor, says that one of the reasons why he decided upon directing “Hamlet” was because it was one of his favorite plays growing up.

Of the 27 roles that are featured throughout the play each of the students who is playing the roles adds a unique flavor to his respective character roles, Zamora says.

“Most of the cast has taken classes with me numerous times,” he adds, “so (each student) brings (some of that) experience with them.”

Tony Bartolone, a minor in theatre arts, who plays The Player, said his character is a cross between actors Robin Williams and Jim Carrey because he is a con artist.

Hamlet, is a young man when he finds out his father is murdered so the play’s emotion may me difficult to grasp at first for some actors.

Zamora says that this is why “the play is rehearsed in block so that the students will get a general idea of what kind emotion is be presented.

Gilbert Martinez, theater arts major, who plays Hamlet agrees that he does have a lot of emotional characteristics, but there is also something else.

“There’s a lot of layers to Hamlet,” he emphasizes, “because not only is what he feels about the murder of his father important, (Hamlet) is also very intelligent (so much so) that I could write an entire paper on him.”

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern also play a crucial role in “Hamlet” as two of his close friends who eventually betray him.

Maria Lopez, theater arts major, plays Rosencrantz “Who is not very smart,” as she says, “because he just follows the rules.”

Lopez, says that she and her twin sister Barbara, who plays Guildenstern, don’t have many lines in “Hamlet.”

However, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s director Kevin Hoggard says that both roles are brought into focus within the play he directs.

The primary reason why Hoggard wanted to direct Stoppard’s play is because of the twin sisters “because originally the roles of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were written for men.”

The hope that Zamora has is that those who come and see “Hamlet” is that they will end up having an appreciation for Shakespeare.

However, for Hoggard there is another element to “Hamlet” himself, besides Shakespeare’s pen.

“He was an actor and when he wrote, he put himself as the actor in those plays, such ‘Hamlet.'”

“Hamlet” runs through Nov. 4 and “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern” runs through Nov. 5.