Originally slated as the first show of the 2014 fall semester, the Kilgore College theater department will feature “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” as its first play of the spring semester.

The play was postponed due to a tragedy in a cast member’s family.

Based on William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” the Tom Stoppard-penned play discusses topics, such as death and life after death, in an approachable way, KC theater instructor and director Micah Goodding said.

While the show follows the events of “Hamlet,” Stoppard’s production focuses on two minor characters from the tragic play. While Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are announced as dead during the Bard’s play, they are mostly forgotten, Goodding explained.

“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” focuses on the two lesser characters and how they pass the time and react to the other characters in the world of “Hamlet.”

“The charm of this show is it takes very difficult issues like life and death, and it brings them to light in a very playful manner,” Goodding said. “That’s what makes it so accessible to any audience member.”

Some cast members have changed and some roles have been switched due to the delay, creating a completely different show.

“That changes everything,” he said about the casting adjustments. “That changes absolutely everything about the chemistry, the way the cast works together and the way the play comes across.”

He is excited about the new version, though, calling it a “blessing in disguise” to have had to hold off.

“It’s been a great experience so far because this is the type of play a person can spend a lifetime doing and then not fully grasp,” he said about returning to the production.

With the extra time, Goodding and his students have gotten a better understanding of what they want to do and how to accomplish their goals with the show.

“Now with an added four weeks, they’re getting a chance to explore,” Goodding said.

No matter if audience members have read “Hamlet” or taken an existentialism class, Goodding said, the show is suitable for a wide range of theatergoers because of the way Stoppard approaches the subject matter.

“This is going to be a fun evening of theater,” he said. “Just because it deals with Shakespeare and just because it deals with heavy issues, doesn’t mean people won’t be laughing.”

No children under the age 7 will be allowed into the show due to its duration, Goodding said.

“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” will open Feb. 24 in Van Cliburn Auditorium at Kilgore College with shows at 7:30 p.m. through Feb. 27. There also will be a matinee performance March 1 at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets cost $10 for adults, $7 for students and $5 for KC students with a student ID. Tickets are available from the Kilgore College box office inside the Anne Dean Turk Fine Arts Center or online at www.kilgore.edu/drama.