Review: THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) [REVISED] [AGAIN] at LTM

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] [Again], written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield, is a fast-paced comedy featuring Shakespeare’s 37 plays in 97 minutes. The original version was published in 1990 and was followed by two revisions — one around 2010 and one around 2023. This is the perfect show for those who struggled through Shakespeare in school or for anyone who just needs a good laugh. Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg presents The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] [Again], under the direction of Robert Zaccano and assistant director Kyle Curry through March 15th.

The technical and creative elements of this production are beautifully designed to suit the lightning-quick pace of the performance (costumes by Kyle Curry, Mandi L. Hurley, Sue Reutter; props by Kyle Curry, Heather Flatley, Mandi L. Hurley; light design by Heather Flatley; sound design by Keith Bowerman; set design by Mandi L. Hurley; and set construction and painting by Ally Boyd, Andi Carter, Lexi Hoffman, Mandi L. Hurley, Bobby Zaccano, Kyle Curry, and Mark Myers). Stage manager Mandi L. Hurley, assistant director Kyle Curry, stage crew Duffy Batzer, Alex E. Donley, and Jessica Shilladay, and tech booth operators Heather Flatley and Nigel Warren keep things moving smoothly behind the scenes, and the occasional appearances on stage of the production team and stage crew are delightful. The staging for this production is excellent, making full use of the stage and aisles — the chase scene at the end of act 1 is particularly well-staged, drawing attention to the brilliance of the set design.

Samuel Eisenhuth, Ally Olney-Boyd, and Josh Lebo give a stellar performance. Their ability to break the fourth wall and to manage audience participation is masterful, making the entire production feel wonderfully spontaneous. Each actor alone shines in this performance. Eisenhuth’s improvisational skills are invaluable to this production. Olney-Boyd’s facial expressions take the audience on an emotional roller-coaster. Lebo’s line delivery, from the most serious of monologues to the silliest of jokes, is spot-on. While each actor individually brings a wealth of skill to the stage, together they are a force that brings the production right to the edge of chaos while preventing it from falling over that edge — just the balance that this production requires to be successful. The chemistry between these three actors as they navigate the whirlwind script is superb. Their timing turns the rapid-fire dialogue into an event that feels like a pro ping-pong match, keeping the audience on their toes and laughing throughout the performance.

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