The Complete Works
of William Shakespeare
Written by Adam Long, Jess Winfield
and Daniel Singer
Directed by David Belew
Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport (map)
thru June 23 | tickets: $20-$25 | more info
Check for half-price tickets
Read entire review
Enjoyable despite hiccups
Eclectic Theatre presents
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
Review by Lauren Whalen
Eclectic Theatre is small but mighty. They put it all out there, inviting audience members to talk-backs, tech rehearsals and read-throughs, posting videos for all to see. Their Six Degrees of Separation was tiny, low-key and very powerful. The Chicago theater scene is glutted, yet I’m excited to see what Eclectic has to offer next. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) closes Eclectic’s inaugural season, and though it’s far from perfect, it’s enjoyable, funny and most of all, promising.
Complete Works was penned and performed in the late 1980’s by the three actors of the Reduced Shakespeare Company. Using formats ranging from cooking shows to football games to sock puppetry, with a healthy dose of audience participation, the RSC strived to present all 37 of the Bard’s plays in less than two hours. There’s a wild card (Adam Kander), an intellectual (Michael Woods) and a goofy straight man (Ryan Naimy) – and all have their own ideas, quirks and hangups.
I first learned of Complete Works in the late 1990’s, while combing through scripts for duet acting while embedded in the epicenter of geekery also known as high school speech tournament. My partner and I fell in love with the script, just the right combination of side-splitting hilarity and genuine smarts. It’s an actor-driven piece, requiring physical and mental prowess, a way with words and stellar comic timing. Eclectic artistic director David Belew (who helmed the phenomenal Six Degrees of Separation) has a terrific cast that transitions through characters, props, iambic pentameter and flatulence jokes with the greatest of ease. Woods straddles the line of dry humor and crackling wit, and his Hamlet is pure over-the-top angst. Kander is just plain lovable, donning wigs like a pro and playing female characters like Juliet or Ophelia without resorting to offensive stereotypes. And Naimy (understudying original cast member Andrew J. Pond) maximizes his rule-following character to fun effect.
I did find myself wondering, however, just how well the script has aged. Many of the more dated references have been replaced with mentions of Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare’s wife and the Les Miserables actress share a name) and iPads, yet some edits are just plain odd. For example, in the original script, Titus Adronicus is reimagined as a cooking show starring a Julia Child-like main character. In this production, “Titus” is Christopher Walken. There is no real reason for this (to my knowledge, Christopher Walken has never played Titus Adronicus, nor has he hosted a cooking show, and in the Food Network era, there are plenty of recognizable celebrity chefs) other than the fact that Woods does a killer Christopher Walken impression.
The show’s format is very late 80’s/early-to-mid-90’s, when both sketch comedy and classical parody reigned supreme. Again, I love Complete Works and have many fond memories, and I wonder if that was informing my enjoyment of this production. Would I have had as much fun without the nostalgia? Still, the crowd around me loved it, most gamely cheering dialog from Ophelia’s superego or running across the stage at the actors’ command.
There is also an issue with timing: Complete Works is divided into two acts, with the second act devoted entirely to Hamlet. The production drags a bit, and I wonder if a full 15-minute intermission is really necessary. The actors had the stamina to keep going for 95-100 straight minutes, and I almost wish Belew had pursued this decision, just to sustain the momentum.
Despite these hiccups, Complete Works never fails to entertain. Normally I hate when actors come into the audience, but with this show, it’s engaging and almost sweet. (Introverts beware, though: at some point, you will have your personal space invaded.) It’s a nice choice for Shakespeare fanatics and newbies alike, and Eclectic proves once again they’re a new company to watch.
Rating: ★★★
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) continues through June 23rd at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays 2pm. Tickets are $20-$25, and are available by phone (773-935-6875) or online through OvationTix.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at Eclectic-Theatre.com. (Running time: 1 hour 50 minutes, includes an intermission)
artists
cast
Adam Kander, Andrew J. Pond, Michael Woods (ensemble), Ryan Naimy, Sean Walsh, Aaron Wertheim (understudies)
behind the scenes
David Belew (director), Alyssa Jaksa (stage manager), Pat Iven (set design), Julane Sullivan (costume design), Mara Sullivan (prop design)
16-0606
