The following was submitted by Joanne Merrian <ILION@ac.dal.ca> to the
SHAKSPER Conference on Saturday, April 30, 1994.


		Spinoff: Monsterpiece Theatre

Saw this on Sesame Street a few days ago...

MONSTERPIECE THEATRE: HAMLET

introduced by Alistair Cookie (Cookie Monster)

A.C.: Hello. This is Alistair Cookie and welcome to Monsterpiece
 Theatre. Today, me incredibly proud to present one of best-loved
 classics in whole world, a play that explores feelings that bubble
 deep inside all of us. Yes, me proud to present "Hamlet, Prince of
 Denmark". It don't get classier than this.

(Scene: Hamlet walks on the cloudy battlements, reading a book.)
Enter Elmo.
Elmo: Forsooth! Elmo spieth Hamlet, Prince of Denmark! Reading a book!
(Hamlet laughs)
     A funny book! It maketh him happy. Oh, Hamlet, what doth thou
     read that maketh thee so happy?
Ham: Words, words, words.
(Hamlet laughs)
Elmo: Elmo knoweth that a book hath words, words, words, but pray tell
     what words doth the book hath?
(Hamlet sighs, begins to cry)
     Oh, now Prince Hamlet seemeth so sad.
(Hamlet elaborately blows his nose)
     Oh, Hamlet. Pray tell Elmo what maketh thee so sad?
Ham: (sadly) Words, words, words.
Elmo: Again with the words, words, words! Prince Hamlet doth not give
     to Elmo a straight answer! Oh-oh! Oh-oh! A dark cloud doth sweep
     across Hamlet's brow! He seemeth... angry! What doth thou readeth
     that maketh thee so angry, oh great prince?
Ham: (angrily) Words, words, words.
Elmo: Okay! That does it! Elmo's feddeth up! One last question, Hamlet!
Ham: What?
Elmo: Where can Elmo getteth his own book?
Ham: Get thee to a library, Elmo.
Elmo: Ah.. a library! Of course. Elmo will run to the royal library and
     borroeth his own book! Yeah, bye!
(Hamlet waves)
Exeunt Elmo.
Ham: At last, now I am alone.
Enter Elmo, carrying a book.
(Elmo sits next to Hamlet, begins to read and starts laughing)
Ham: What doth thou read, Elmo, that maketh thee so happy?
Elmo: Oh, well Elmo can't read yet, Hamlet. Elmo's looking at...
     pictures! pictures! pictures!
(Hamlet sighs)

A.C.: Oh boy, that great stuff! Very deep, very emotional. But what me
 like best is that Hamlet is Prince of Denmark, cause that make Hamlet
 Danish, and me just love danish! Especially prune danish!
(Eats prune danish)
Monsterpiece Theatre theme starts.
(Eats plate)

By the way, Hamlet was played by Mel Gibson.
This episode aired here on April 28.