What do you get when you mix three actors clad in colored and patterned tights, a giant prop box filled with an assortment of goodies, and a script full of comic gold? Hilarity, that’s what. Baltimore’s Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s (CSC) production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] [Again] opened to a boisterous house, complete with a swanky after-party in their upstairs lounge.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) was conceived and written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield, former founding members of the Reduced Shakespeare Company. The writers, Long, Singer, and Winfield first performed at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Novato, California the early 1980’s, then at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1987, and later at the Criterion Theatre in London, where it ran for nine years. The show parodies the plays of William Shakespeare as the three aforementioned actors (who use their real names in the show vs specific characters) bounce around the stage with what appears to be a stream of unstoppable energy while they try and cram all of Shakespeare’s works into vignettes of such comedic farce that leaves the audience speechless with laughter.
That said, I don’t think The Bard would be turning over in his grave if he knew what was being done to his works. Just as the saying goes that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I believe Shakespeare himself would be thrilled at the enduring popularity of his plays such that they have been treated to such a royal comedy of errors (pun intended) and with enough material to give Shakespeare fans a run for their money and introduce a new generation to the great classics who may not be familiar with such immortal plays as Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet, among others.
The show was originally slated to be performed by CSC in March 2020* and when the pandemic reared its ugly head, only for another of the stubborn variants to surface in October 2021. Thankfully, it appears the worst is behind us and theatre is slowly returning to stages across the country. The play has been revised a few times over the years (hence, the [Revised] in the title) to bring it up to current modern times. This current production showcases a completely revised script, crafted during the pandemic, which is important because this is the first significant professional production of said revised script according to Producing Executive Director, Lesley Malin. This production is also dedicated to former Chesapeake Shakespeare Company alumni, Frank B. Moorman, a much beloved fixture on the Maryland theatre scene for years who passed away in October last year and who performed in many of CSC’s shows over the years as well as their 2011 production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).
For patrons familiar with CSC’s venue on S. Calvert Street in the heart of Charm City, the stage is in the middle with three floors of seating on three sides. The stage is large and Set Designer Misha Kachman makes the most of it with a “less is more” theme. Actually, this is a very easy show to stage with simply a music stand and a large box of props. This is, after all, a show mostly about the actors. Costume Designer Kristina Lambdin outfits the cast with outrageously colorful duds. If clothes could speak there would be much chatter (but in Olde English of course). From the tights to the colored high-top tennis shoes and socks to the Shakespeareanesque collars to the seemingly endless parade of dresses, wigs, and other pieces which the cast don and doff with such frenzied speediness that leaves your head spinning, Lambdin has put together a barrage of costumes and pieces that are as funny as the show itself, and have the audience in stitches just in seeing them on the cast when they make their respective entrances.
Director Ian Gallanar has put together a simple, well-crafted, and insanely funny show, coaxing the best out of his cast of three. It’s a challenging task because, for all its seeming simplicity, this show is highly complex. Not only do the cast have to memorize a script encompassing over 2 hours of lines, but they must also interact with the audience continually. Not an easy feat. Hopefully they got some helpful friends and family to sit in on rehearsals, because this interaction with the audience is what makes this show so brilliant. Fourth wall? Hmph. What fourth wall? Gallanar is a veteran who knows the tricks of the trade well and has brought the script to life with his expertly casted crew.
Speaking of the cast, these folks have to be three of Maryland’s most talented actors. It takes a lot of talent, drive, and stamina to pull a show like this off, and their performances and interactions with each other brilliantly showcase what these fine thespians are capable of…and then some.
CSC newcomer Shaquille Stewart is the first one we see, leaping onto the stage and getting the audience riled up with his booming voice, fiery delivery, and as much physicality as if this was a high school pep rally. I don’t know if he can sing, but he reminded me so much of the Genie in the Broadway musical Aladdin, so much so that, well, if he broke out into a chorus of “Friend Like Me” I wouldn’t blink twice. Stewart was an absolute delight to watch. A fireball of energy with a flair for side-splitting comedy, he held his own and one would think he was ad-libbing or even tossing in a bit of improv (although, when an audience member who participated in the show left the stage, Stewart said something comically rude but then followed up with a quiet “Sorry, I had to say that. It’s in the script. I’m not really that mean”). This is one truly gifted actor with a heart as big as his sneakers.
Kathryne Daniels is downright hysterical. Whether she’s running back and forth playing both the King and Queen in Hamlet, demanding to do the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet or bumping and grinding her “assets” to peals of laughter from the house, Daniels knows physical comedy and how to bring the best of it to the stage. I found myself sitting back and just watching her, mesmerized by her supersonic entrances and exits, each time with a different costume piece, and never missing a beat. Even when it appeared that she was breathless at times (heck, everyone was at one point or another in this show!) it was understood and expected and, well, funny as all get go.
Last but not least, Scott Alan Small is the self-proclaimed Shakespeare “expert”, complete with a Certificate of Completion to back up his credentials. Or is he? Small holds his own with the rest of the cast as he, too, runs and slaps costume pieces on and off (a recurring party of the play with only three actors playing a multitude of parts), and narrates some of the snippets. One of his funniest moments comes as he portrays a Chef on a cooking show during the condensed interpretation of Titus Andronicus. Like the others, Small is a veteran Shakespearean actor who not only knows how to tread the boards, but has some pretty nifty tricks up his sleeve such as his bombastic facial expressions, penchant for split-second timing, and line delivery, all of which had me in tears of laughter.
Will they be able to cram all of Shakespeare’s plays into one show? No spoilers here. It’s impossible to say much more about the show without giving away so much of what makes this show so funny, and that wouldn’t be fair to future audiences who may be reading this review. So I’ll just leave it at this: Dost thou wantest a merry time? Cravest thou laughter and carousal? Then get thee to a nunnery! Er, theatery! Er, you know what I mean.
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with one intermission
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] [Again] plays through March 5, 2023 with Chesapeake Shakespeare Company— 7 S. Calvert Street in Baltimore, MD. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 410-244-8570 or purchasing them in advance online.
*CSC’s original intended production of The Complete Works… did actually get off the ground (however briefly before the statewide shut-down on March 16, 2020 and a link of TheatreBloom’s original review of that short-lived performance can be found here: https://www.theatrebloom.com/2020/03/the-complete-works-of-william-shakespeare-abridged-at-chesapeake-shakespeare-company/ )
