Whoever thought that there would be a spinoff — with humor, no less — of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet?”

However odd it may sound, Lee Blessing, author of the play “Fortinbras,” must have done something right. The Iowa State and Ames communities have a chance to experience Blessing’s follow-up vision of “Hamlet” this weekend, when “Fortinbras” opens on the Fisher Theater stage tomorrow night.

“Fortinbras” is running in conjunction with a production of “Hamlet,” which opens tonight. The two shows will run on alternate nights, with “Fortinbras” playing both Friday evening and Sunday afternoon next weekend.

For those who are familiar with the storyline of “Hamlet,” Fortinbras enters during the very last bloody scene. The play “Fortinbras” includes “what happens after everyone in ‘Hamlet’ has died,” said Shirley Basfield Dunlap, the play’s director. “The whole thing is really a spoof on ‘Hamlet.'”

Obviously, the two shows share several qualities. Dunlap said that they employ the same massive set, the largest in the history of Fisher Theater, which includes a medieval castle with a wrap-around, fully functional walkway. In addition, many of the same characters that star in “Hamlet” also take to the stage in “Fortinbras,” though several of them appear as ghosts.

But there are several significant differences. It is not necessary to be completely familiar with Shakespeare’s work to glean all of the meaning from “Fortinbras.”

“You don’t have to be a ‘Hamlet’ scholar to know the things going on in ‘Fortinbras,'” Dunlap said. “It stands on its own.”

Plus, “Fortinbras” sheds the Elizabethan language of “Hamlet” after the first scene. From that point on, the dialogue continues in modern-day language.

In addition, “Fortinbras” is much shorter than it’s predecessor. “Fortinbras takes over and makes a mess of things in less time,” Dunlap said.

And while “Hamlet” is a heavy-weighing tragedy, “Fortinbras” contains light-hearted humor and satire.

“Fortinbras” opens tomorrow night in Fisher Theater. Show time is 7:30 p.m.. Tickets for Iowa State students cost $4.75. Subsequent performances of the play are next Friday night, Nov. 8, at 7:30, and next Sunday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m.

Dunlap said that in this election year, as close as we are to Nov. 5, the parody is well-timed.

“Once Fortinbras is announced as king,” she explained, “he comes up with tactics on how to make up the truth because he knows that no one is gonna believe that two families killed themselves” as they did in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”

One of Dunlap’s favorite lines in the play is, “Kings don’t make mistakes, they reassess policy.”

Tim Davis, who plays the ghost of Hamlet in “Fortinbras,” said that despite the humor, the play has a deep-seeded, serious message. “As funny as it is,” he said, “I think it present a real wry look at the efforts our political leaders make to appear heroic, patriotic, just, and how they’ll attempt to twist the truth at times to accomplish that.”

Dunlap said that she is very proud of the cast and crew, who have worked for several months to bring Iowa State and Ames these two productions. “Their disposition and spirit have been amazing,” she said. “It’s a love, it’s a passion, and that’s really what’s [theater is] all about.”