The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) On Stage at 2nd Space

Jun 27, 2024 | 2024 Articles, Terrance V. Mc Arthur, Theatre

William Shakespeare (1564-1616), playwright, poet, actor. The Bard of Stratford-on-Avon. People have been interpreting and re-interpreting his works for more than 400 years. He has had his language censored, happy endings added to tragedies, plays turned into musicals (“Maria-a-a-a! I just met a girl named Maria-a-a-a!”), gender roles switched, and translated into Klingon.

In the 1980s, Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Wingfield (the “Reduced Shakespeare Company”) got hold of the plays, messed around with them, and created a comedic, satiric evening called The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), 37 plays in under two hours, and a production of it is now playing at the Good Company Players’ 2nd Space Theatre through August 4.

Cast of GCP’s production of “The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged”

It’s a combination of wordplay, slapstick, and parody, that is so exhausting for only three actors, that GCP has put together two three-person casts that alternate performances: the Stratford Cast (Michael Fidalgo, Henry Montelongo, Alex Vaux) and the Avon Cast (Noah Miranda, R. C. Breheim, Casey Ballard). To give a hint of how frenetic the show is, the performers make a total of 60 costume changes! For safety’s sake, Marc Gonzalez and Renee Newlove are on standby as understudies, in case of illness or accident. Almost all of them have theatrical resumes that include Shakespeare plays or Shakespeare-related plays, so they don’t come from a lack of familiarity. Complete Works (Abridged) comes from a love of Shakespeare, although it touches on confusion, misconceptions, and ignorance people might have. You don’t need to be a Shakespearean scholar to have fun, but knowing some of the plays does add context to certain gags like why characters from the violent Titus Andronicus are running around with socks on their hands with red at the ends.

Alex Vaux in GCP’s production of “The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged)”

Complete Works (Abridged) delights in taking Shakespeare and putting it into modern metaphorical concepts. Act One of Romeo and Juliet turns into a pro-wrestling match. Titus Andronicus is mashed into a Julia Child cooking show. The history plays of the English Succession/War of the Roses is portrayed as a football game with play-by-play sportscasting. Shakespeare’s comedies are squished into a jumble of shared plot elements. Even Hamlet is shown no mercy—the play-within-a-play is performed with sock puppets. Hamlet takes up the whole second act of Complete Works (Abridged). One section encourages audience participation, dividing the crowd into groups that shout out phrases representing Freud’s concepts of the Id, Ego, and Superego.

Cast of GCP’s production of “The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged”

Even though both casts work from the same script, improvisation and audience reactions cause small differences to appear in the dialogue. Sometimes, there are MAGA jokes; sometimes, there are not. Current events and celebrities are fair game—even Star Wars and a local weatherman get a ribbing.

Fidalgo and Miranda are wild and crazy, play the female characters, and get to run and scream a lot; nevertheless, they get to ambush the audience with the most heartfelt, thought-provoking, highlight-reel-worthy renditions of a Shakespearean monologue. Montelongo and Preheim deliver introductions and act as anchors: Montelongo has an avuncular air about him, like the wise-yet-cool uncle who tells great stories; Preheim wants to clue you in on the subversive qualities of Shakespeare. Vaux and Ballard get to do some heavy-lifting roles: Ballard is bouncy and earnest; Vaux is a little more worldly.

Cast of GCP’s production of “The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged”

Mark Standriff directs with a light hand, giving the actors room to grow, but holding the reins. Ginger Kay Lewis-Reed provides basic costumes that protect knees, elbows, and such, and accessorize well. David Pierce’s set gives archways, room for movement, and a swirling floorspace on which to play.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) may be compact, but there’s a lot to love.

The 2nd Space Theatre is at 928 E. Olive Ave, Fresno. For tickets and further information, contact gcplayers.com, or call (559) 266-9494.

Check out more theatre reviews & other local entertainment articles in our Arts & Entertainment section. You can also find more theatre coming up on KRL’s Local Theatre event page.

If you love local theatre, be sure to check out Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast, which features mysteries read by local actors. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and also on podbean.

Terrance V. Mc Arthur worked for the Fresno County Public Library for three decades. He is retired, but not retiring. A storyteller, puppeteer, writer, actor, magician, basketmaker, and all-around interesting person, his goal is to make life more unusual for everyone he meets.