THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) [REVISED] [AGAIN] to Open at Birmingham Village Players

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again] will be presented on stage November 6 - 22, 2026 at Birmingham Village Players.

Through physical comedy, quick character changes, and creative use of items (think toys, pool noodles, scarves, squirt guns, and more!) a high energy troupe of improv and comic actors share all of Shakespeare's plays in as little time as possible.

'They don't exactly perform all 37 plays. Some get condensed, some get combined, and some get turned into something else entirely. Their versions of Shakespeare range from fairly well done to hilariously wrong, but all are approached with the same ridiculous energy,' said Director Sarah Noah.

Not a fan of Shakespeare? No problem. You don't need to know Shakespeare to enjoy this show, but fans will recognize plenty of references along the way.

What else can you expect from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again]?

'A lot of laughter. Crazy props. Creative sound effects. There's also a ton of physical comedy and movement. Oh, and there might be a little (or a lot of) audience interaction!' said Noah. 'When you ask for volunteers or have the audience interjecting during the show, the actors have to be ready for anything.'

'With a show this ridiculous, sometimes the weird idea that someone tries on a whim ends up being exactly what we needed,' said Noah. 'The authors give performers permission to update some of the jokes with more current or local references and encourage our own brand of goofiness throughout. We are definitely taking them up on that.'

If you need a break from the real world, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare might be just what you're looking for.

'This show lets the actors have this wonderful, chaotic fun onstage and invites the audience to play with them,' said Noah. 'I hope they laugh, forget the world for 90 minutes, and walk out with a smile.'

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again] runs November 6-22 at Birmingham Village Players. Friday and Saturday shows begin at 7:30pm. The Sunday matinees start at 2:00pm.

Individual tickets cost $30. Flex Package tickets for all shows are available by contacting the box office at 248-644-2075 or visiting the ticket page on the website, www.birminghamvillageplayers.com. Flex Packages are available in three sizes (five, ten or 20 tickets) that allow you to use them at your discretion throughout the season. You can book one ticket for each show or all tickets on one show.

Birmingham Village Players' 104th season continues with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee running January 15 - 31, 2027, Amadeus on stage March 5 - 21, 2027 and concludes with Oklahoma! from April 30 - May 16, 2027.

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