“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” is my favorite play of all time, and Theatre AACC’s Friday night production of it lived up to my high expectations.

Tom Stoppard’s comedic, tragic, existential parody of Hamlet has been wildly popular ever since its debut in 1966.

Theatre AACC’s performance kept the audience on our toes, from witty fourth-wall breaks to sudden pirate attacks and dramatic death scenes.

The show’s titular protagonists, played by AACC alumnus Eliza Geib and theater student Cameron Walker, built off of each other exquisitely in rapid back-and-forth comedy. Both were on stage nearly the entire play, yet never faltered.

Northeast High School senior Gabriel Duque’s performance as the Player was perfectly overdramatic, delivering clever and condescending snark with poise.

Despite the protagonists having nearly all the lines, the almost-silent performance of the Tragedians got the biggest laughs from the audience.

Between acrobatics, miming and the occasional sex joke, the Tragedians kept the play lively and fun with barely a word spoken among all of them.

The actors took full advantage of the stage’s multi-layered set, moving up and down the wooden steps, hiding in barrels and falling off the edge of the boat.

If you weren’t familiar with Hamlet, however, some of the jokes and references wouldn’t make sense.

As well, several of the scenes came directly from Hamlet, and the Shakespearean language could be difficult to parse at times.

All in all, it was an incredible experience, with flashy costumes and even flashier fight scene choreography that ended with roaring applause.

The play will run Saturday and Sunday, April 15 and 16, in the Kauffman Theater, as well as next weekend on April 21, 22 and 23.Tickets cost $5 for students, $10 for faculty and staff, and $15 for the public.