‘The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)’ @ Lakeside Community Theatre

—Hannah Kneen

Lakeside Community Theatre is knocking Shakespeare out of the park with their production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), directed by Austin Bender-Davis. Written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield, the play was first performed in 1987 and has since been a popular way to parody Shakespeare in a fun, accessible way. You can’t really go wrong with this show, and it suits the intimate configuration of the theatre at LCT perfectly.

If you’re unfamiliar with TCWOWS(A), the concept is simple. Three actors attempt to compress every single one of Shakespeare’s works into less than two hours. Their excuse is that it’s the only time they have the stage space before the next act is up. They begin with some of the most famous plays (i.e. Romeo and Juliet) and mix it up with enough modern language and ‘dudebro’ attitude to remind us the play is centered around a bunch of teenagers. They swiftly move on to tragedies (Titus Andronicus the Cooking Show is a personal favorite of mine) and then to comedies.

The actors argue that the plots, while convoluted, tend enough towards similar tropes (twins, crossdressing, shipwrecks, etc.)—and decide to smash them together into one super comedy helpfully titled: The Comedy of Two Well-Measured Gentlemen Lost in the Merry Wives of Venice on a Midsummer’s Twelfth Night in Winter, or Cymbeline Taming Pericles the Merchant in the Tempest of Love As Much As You Like It For Nothing, or, more simply, The Love Boat Goes to Verona. But beyond titles, I’ll let you discover what the golf clubs, the light saber noises, and the impromptu football game are about—all on your own. I wouldn’t want to spoil things.

All three actors (Patrick Britton, Sara Parisa, and Sienna Riehle) were high-energy all the way through, committed to every bit and joyously flouting the concept of a fourth wall at every turn. While they excelled in their very silly humor, it wasn’t the only thing the show had to offer.

Sara Parisa had a rare sincere moment during the second act that contrasted well with the ridiculousness of Patrick Britton's rendition of Shakespeare’s most famous soliloquy. It provided a nice contrast to Britton’s repeated attempts to be serious and intellectual and how they always disintegrated into absurdity. As Parisa was normally the one getting silly while Britton tried (futilely) to play the intellectual, the moment worked well. Poor Sienne Riehle, the third actor and the first to introduce us to the show, had the unenviable position of getting stuck mediating between these two in their quarrels. All together, the three create a great blend of intellectual, absurd, and zany that has no trouble keeping the audience engaged.

If you’ve noticed I neglected to mention what is arguably Shakespeare’s most famous play. But don’t worry, they don’t forget Hamlet … entirely. That particular play is, in fact, a very entertaining point of contention between the players.

The show doesn’t demand much in terms of set or tech aside from the extensive number of props and changeable costume pieces (kudos to Cayley Bender-Davis). Regardless, what was done was done well. There was one transition that felt a bit long, but apart from that everything ran as smoothly as a well-oiled machine.

Most of the sound design (by JD Dvorak) was either unapologetically modern music played for a gag or modern tunes played in “ye olde” style; I’m pretty sure I heard a harpsichord in there somewhere. The jokes landed well and the tech crew joined in occasionally, which was a nice touch, making the play feel even more like an experience everyone had a share in.

On that note, be warned there is some audience participation, and you’ll know how you feel about that. But if you don’t mind getting drawn into the chaos, it’s a lot of fun—and creates a lovely communal experience in the intimate LCT stage space. The audience I was with were really good sports, and helped generate the good energy of this joyful night of Shakespeare, silliness, and shared laughter.

WHEN: April 17-May 2, 3036
WHERE: Lakeside Community Theatre, 6303 Main St., The Colony TX
WEB: https://www.lctthecolony.com/