The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged]

By Monk Ferris

Directed by Thomas La Foe
May 26-31, 2009
The Playhouse on Main

Featuring – Matt Crane, Kris Lee, and Gabe Smith

Can three guys really cover 37 Shakespeare plays in less than two hours? This fast-firing comedy does just that as it parodies all of the Shakespeare plays (plus the sonnets!) with only three performers in two acts. This play is full of energy as the characters run across the stage and keep you guessing how they will pull off the next play. Clever use of some interesting costumes also adds to the fun.

The play starts with an eccentric version of Romeo and Juliet, followed by a parody of Titus Andronicus (which is portrayed as a cooking show). Next is Othello, which is done as a rap song (the infamous “Othello Rap”). The members of the trio compete in a hilarious football game which summarizes the histories (King John, Richard II, Richard III, Henry IV etc), complete with commentary and details of each character's rise and fall from power.

As the characters are about to come to the end of the first act, they realize they forgot to perform Hamlet. One of the actors becomes nervous and runs out of the theatre with another actor chasing him. The final actor is left to entertain the audience by himself, which he does by telling jokes and calling for the intermission.

After the intermission, the missing two actors return and save their companion from reciting all of the sonnets. All three actors then perform their very abbreviated version of Hamlet (with a little help from the audience), thus “completing” the canon with time to spare!

Click here to read the program from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged].

Click here to view the photo gallery from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged].

Click here to see the poster from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged].

Click here to return to the 2008-2017 past shows page.