Review: THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) at Players Circle Theater

I have to think William Shakespeare would get a kick out of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) now on stage at Players Circle. The Bard was a believer in comic relief after all.

The premise of the show is for three actors to cover all 37 of the plays in 97 in minutes. Steven Coe, Steven Michael Kennedy, and AJ Mendini attack the assignment with gusto.

First, they lull you by declaiming genuine Shakespearean dialogue with crisp precision before going off the rails to kibbitz with each other or engage directly with the audience.

You can’t help but admire their versatility. The slapstick, or should I say body English, is manic. I’m guessing a lot of credit for that goes to director Ted Wioncek III. Along the way, they also give us some rap, a football game, and a puppet show.

I have to single out Kennedy. He must have drawn the short straw and got to play all the women’s parts in a variety of wigs, the hair of which always seemed to end up in his mouth.

If you’re a fan of Shakespeare, as I am, you will be delighted by how all the references sneak in. If you’re not a fan, you may become one by the end of the evening. The off the wall explanations might make some sense of all those obsolete words you never understood in school.

The show closes on July 13, so better hie thee to the theater. Call 239-800-3292 for tickets.