REVIEW: Manic, hilarious romp of Shakespeare's plays @ STNJ will have you rolling in the aisles
New version updated to reflect our current cultural climate
By Ruth Ross
If, like me, you have seen a production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged] in its two previous iterations, you might wonder whether you should head out to the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre in Madison to see the current production of the play, which runs through July 27.
Well, I am here to tell you not to miss this version, entitled The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged] [revised] [again], emphasis on the [again] part, for the script has been updated to reflect our current cultural climate, much to the delight of the audience when I attended on Tuesday night past. Your sides will hurt from laughing, and you will never think of the Bard the same way ever again.
You say that you struggled with Shakespeare in high school? Well, rest assured: This is Shakespeare Lite. A trio of very talented actors in tights, who think the tragedies funnier than the comedies, performs a silly, slapstick, breakneck-paced romp that is an assault on the Bard’s writings. Racing through all 37 plays, plus 154 sonnets, they portray over 100 characters (out of the Bard’s 1226) and shed a completely new light on Romeo, Juliet, Othello, Hamlet, and many of Shakespeare's other characters, too.
Director Jeffrey M. Bender, one of STNJ's most accomplished comedic actors, who directed the troupe’s 2009 production of the play, keeps the action moving at full tilt so that no one—neither the actors nor the audience—has time to reflect on the indignities being inflicted on the works of our greatest dramatist. That Shakespeare’s original Elizabethan language is preserved, in addition to the liberties the cast takes with their interpretations, provides further hilarity. Contemporary references (the again part of the title) to Real Housewives of New Jersey, a mangled biography of the Bard produced by AI, modern slang expressions, and Ozempic keep the current production fresh and topical.
Patrick Toon, Ty Lane and Kayla Ryan Walsh (pictured above) attempt to convince us they know everything there is to know about Shakespeare, but they mangle, mix up and manipulate the plays to a fare-thee-well. They switch roles with alacrity—often confusing who is playing whom—and even get the audience to participate in the mayhem.
The first act highlights 36 of Shakespeare’s plays: The very bloody Titus Andronicus becomes a cooking show à la Julia Childs; in Othello, the actors wrestle with the meaning of moor; and Macbeth and Banquo battle with golf clubs. Because Shakespeare is a formulaic writer, the comedies are combined into one, entitled Cymbeline Taming Pericles, the Merchant, in the Tempest of Love As Much as You Like It for Nothing. The history plays are performed as a football game, with a crown as the pigskin!
Post intermission, the actors tackle the “greatest play ever written in the English language”: Hamlet. The “To be or not to be” speech is mutilated, there are lots of Floridian (er, Freudian) references, and the play within a play is performed by sock puppets. In fact, the troupe performs Hamlet three times, once at regular speed, the second in an attempt to break the record for the fastest time (they get in just under 50 seconds), and the third time BACKWARDS!
Lane’s zany physical agility is very impressive; as most of the female characters, he slips, slides and tumbles, never misses a line and gets up ready for more! A dignified Toon’s attempts to provide gravitas and keep track of time (above) are especially fruitless, considering the lunacy constantly swirling around him. And Walsh’s off-the-wall performance in various roles is nothing short of inspired.
The merriment is enhanced with the help of Daniel Ciba’s collection of fright wigs and outrageous costumes, along with lots of frenetic running back and forth across the stage. Sarah Beth Hall’s set resembles a business establishment with three doors—all necessary for the farce that unfolds. (Above, Walsh and Lane)
Sophomoric? Yes. Burlesque? Yes. Filled with more information on Shakespeare than you thought possible? Unquestionably. Guaranteed to produce unending laughter? Absolutely! The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged] [revised] [again] is a treat for the entire family (well, maybe not the little ones). This giddy, energetic romp, Shakespeare on speed, is pure entertainment, perhaps the funniest show in 500 years. You’ll be sorry if you miss it.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged] [revised] [again] will be performed on the main stage of the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Ave., Madison (on the campus of Drew University) through July 27. For information and tickets, call the box office at 973.408.5600 or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org online.
Photos by Avery Brunkus.