Romeo, Hamlet and Othello
By: Emily Chow
Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: Entertainment
| |
| |
|
Presented by PROJECT: Theatre, this popular parody will be staged at Gamble Amphitheater this weekend. The play features the talents of Christina Barbieri '12, Anna Driftmier '12 and Sarah Westendorf '10, as well as the supporting talents of Ruth Canter '10, Miriam Cantor-Stone '12, and Karen Pierce '12. This slapstick comedy will whiz audiences through all 37 of William Shakespeare's plays in the span of only two hours, including a 43 second performance of Hamlet.
In The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), there are usually three main actors in this play, along with the absence of a fourth wall to enable interaction with audience members. Some scenes of the play may involve people other than the cast, for example the director, the stage crew or members of the audience. The script is essentially a parody of Shakespeare's numerous plays, yet it varies according to the audiences and location of the play. Spontaneity is also required of the actors, as instant improvisation of the script is usually utilized throughout the play.
Directed by Rachel Czwartacky '12 and Kiri Bryant '12, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) aims to surprise audiences and be hilariously entertaining. According to Czwartacky, there will be a constant element of surprise and improvisation, and since the lack of a fourth wall allows for audience interaction, the play promises a different result for each show. "This is so the audiences can see the number of sides from our very versatile and wonderful cast," said Czwartacky. "A lot of this script depends on a flexible cast who can work with the situation they're in, even if something goes wrong, which is something we tried to emphasize in rehearsal."
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) was written by the Reduced Shakespeare Company and was first performed in 1987 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It then played at the Criterion Theatre in London for record-breaking nine years. Because of the immense popularity of the play, the Reduced Shakespeare Company has also created The Complete History of America (abridged), All Great Books (abridged) and The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged).
Ideas for the script were garnered from the DVD version of the original show, as both the directors felt that some things in the production were too characteristic to be altered. Yet, inspiration was also generated from the actors as they rapidly got the feel of the play, thus reflecting the sense of humor of everyone involved. "The comedy is intended to connect with all people, so even if they're only slightly familiar with Shakespeare, they'll find something to laugh about," said Czwartacky. The jokes were updated to include references to Mount Holyoke, Facebook and Beyonce. When asked what could be expected from this play, Czwartacky mysteriously answered that students should look forward to Othello, audience participation and the test during the play.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) will be performed from Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3 in Gamble Amphitheater. All show times are at 7:30 p.m. Students are encouraged to make a suggested donation of $2, which would contribute towards Project: Theatre's future efforts. Reservations can be made with an email to ptboxoffice@gmail.com, specifying your name, number of tickets needed and the show you want to attend.