Reed Martin News

Wigs, Silly Hats, and More Make Up The Complete History of America (Abridged) at Elm Street Cultural Arts Village!

Starting June 28th Elm Street Cultural Arts Village gets historical with the opening night of The Complete History of America (Abridged), a comedic rendition of American history written by Adam Long, Reed Martin, and Austin Tichenor. With 600 years of history in 6000 seconds, history will never be the same! This play utilizes humor to tackle a variety of questions: Who really discovered America? Why did Abe Lincoln free the slaves? How many Democrats does it take to screw in a lightbulb? The answers won't be what you're expecting.

On Friday, April 5, I had the pleasure of seeing a phenomenally performed comedy about comedy!  As expected, the Connecticut Cabaret Theatre in Berlin, CT has delivered another high quality show, THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF COMEDY (ABRIDGED) by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor.  Not only is it highly entertaining to watch, but I feel my takeaway from it has helped make me a better person, which to me is the ultimate sign of success for any show!

Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, recognized as one of the premier film schools in the United States, will explore the purpose, passion, and perspective of influential women in the entertainment industry at its milestone 20th Women in Focus Conference. Taking place on Friday, March 29, Chapman's signature Women in Focus Conference will feature an alluring panel of acclaimed female producers and executives who have been behind some of the most commercially and critically successful movies of the last 25 years. Panelists include Janice Chua, VP, International Development and Production at Imagine Entertainment & Television and associate producer (“Crazy Rich Asians”); Producer Bonnie Curtis (“Saving Private Ryan,” “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” “Minority Report, “”Albert Nobbs,” and“Dietland”); content producer, computer scientist, former co-president of PGA, CEO of Revelations Entertainment and executive producer, Lori McCreary (“Madam Secretary,”“The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman,” “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman”); and Vanessa Morrison, President of Fox Family (“Ferdinand,” “Rio,” “Book of Life” and “Ice Age” franchise).

In this "tale told by idiots," The Reduced Shakespeare Company weaves all of The Bard's famous characters, greatest lines and magnificent speeches into a brand new Shakespearean smorgasbord. William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged) is a comic misadventure that will feel strangely familiar yet excitingly new, presented by The Broad Stage for two performances only April 5 and 6 at 7:30pm.

The Adobe Rose is pleased to announce our second annual production of The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged). Set at the Annual Holiday Variety Show at St. Everybody's Non-Denominational Universalist Church, where all faiths are welcome. However none of the acts scheduled to perform have arrived, so the three members of the St. Everybody's Ensemble must perform the entire Variety Show and Christmas Pageant by themselves!

Stages' holiday season offers comic alternatives to traditional seasonal shows with three productions including the regional premiere of the irreverent yet heartwarming The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged), the world premiere of Panto Star Force, the latest in Stages' series of original Pantos for audiences of all ages, and the regional premiere of Who's Holiday!, an adult-themed How the Grinch Stole Christmas parody told entirely in Seussian rhyme. The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) and Who's Holiday! will be offered in true repertory style, playing in the same theatre at different performance times. Who's Holiday! will also include late-night performances at 9:30pm on select dates.

The San Diego International Film Festival (SDiFF), produced by the San Diego Film Foundation, announced today that they have honored Alex Wolff, from the Spotlight presentation "Stella's Last Weekend," with the Auteur Award and Dominique Fishback, from the Gala Presentation "The Hate U Give," with the Rising Star Award. The awards will be presented October 11th at The Night of the Stars Tribute at the Pendry San Diego in Downtown San Diego, CA.  

Imagination Theater presents the production of the Complete History of America (Abridged). Written by playwrights Adam Long, Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor.

Pittsburgh Public Theater welcomes back The Reduced Shakespeare Company (RSC) to close season 43 with William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged). Written and directed by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, this uproarious comedy runs May 31 - July 1, 2018 at the O'Reilly Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater's home in the heart of Downtown's Cultural District. For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit ppt.org.

Isabella Rossellini's Link Link Circus, 7 Fingers' REVERSIBLE, The Reduced Shakespeare Company, Manual Cinema's Memento Mori; acclaimed jazz & blues artists Madeleine Peyroux, John Beasley, Billy Childs, The Stanley Clarke Band, Etienne Charles, Freddy Cole, Corey Harris & Guy Davis and the return of Hiromi: Solo; classical artists Vox Luminis, Olga Kern, Academy of St Martin in the Fields with Jeremy Denk, Lucia Micarelli; an Artist-in-Residence Series featuring violist Richard O'Neill; eclectic world artists Nobunto, Kinan Azmeh CityBand, Alash, Ranky Tanky and the return of David Broza; Kybele Dance Theater, Ballet Hispanico; diverse family programming featuring Pacifico Dance Company, Aaron Nigel Smith's Family Reggae Bash, and The Story Pirates; plus partnerships with Sotheby's Institute of Art - Los Angeles, KCRW, Red Hen Press and National Geographic Live are among over 40 attractions announced for the 2018-2019 Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at The Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center season. 

Every spring for the last 40 years, something very special has happened in Rockland County: the Penguin Rep, the not-for-profit professional Equity theatre started by artistic director Joe Brancato in 1977, begins its season. This year will be their 41st season! Brancato along with with executive director Andrew M. Horn -- has grown Penguin from a small summer theatre into what the New York Times calls: 'the gutsiest little theater!' - one of the Hudson Valley's most influential nonprofit cultural institutions, and nearly half a million theater-goers have passed through its doors during that time.

Penguin Rep Theatre, under the leadership of founding artistic director Joe Brancato and executive director Andrew M. Horn, will stage four productions in its 2018 season.

West Coast Players will present Completely Hollywood, by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, additional material by Dick Conti, directed by Matthew Michael Schiel, April 20-May 6.

Stages Repertory Theatre's 2018-2019 Season, the final full season to be performed at the theatre's current Allen Parkway facility, offers a dynamic mix of new work, fan favorites and stories reflecting Houston's diverse communities. With Stages' signature breadth of programming, the season runs the gamut from beloved musicals to daring new dramas, youth and family programs to adults-only hilarity, with a focus on nurturing emerging artists and welcoming a wide range of audiences.

The Detroit Mercy Theatre Company concludes their 47th season with The Complete History of America (abridged), April 6 - 22. From the founders of Reduced Shakespeare Company and authors of the world renowned, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). Performances will be at The Marlene Boll Theatre inside of the Boll Family YMCA in downtown Detroit

The "Bad Boys of Abridgment" are back! Uproarious and rapid-fire, the Reduced Shakespeare Company makes sharp, short comedy in their latest sendup, William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged). Discovered in a treasure-filled parking lot in Leicester, England (next to a pile of bones that didn't look that important), an ancient manuscript proves to be the literary holy grail-the long-lost first play written by none other than seventeen-year-old William Shakespeare! William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged) makes its off-Broadway premiere at The New Victory Theater, opening on March 2 and playing through March 11, 2018, as part of a 20-city tour throughout the United States.

Looking for something to do around Detroit this holiday season? Don't worry, the city is filled with a show for everyone! BroadwayWorld Detroit has you covered with some of the amazing theatre and art events that this holiday season has to offer!

St. Dunstan's Theatre is pleased to be one of the first community theatres in Metro Detroit to present The Ultimate Christmas Show (Abridged)! This fun holiday-themed show will run for two weekends: December 8 17, 2017.

THE ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS SHOW (Abridged) by Reed Martin & Austin Tichenor, directed by Perry Shields with a knowing wink at all the holiday craziness now rampant in the world. Adding to his own stressfully creative holiday season, the production features two casts performing on alternate dates with Kenyon Meleney, Jimmy Duong, and Matt Garber making up the all-male cast; and Alison Mattiza, Amanda Webb, and Cindy Shields in the all-female cast. So not only is their comic timing absolutely essential throughout the show, along with more costume changes than I can count and continuous choreography, each of Perry's two casts rehearsed separately in half the usual rehearsal time! And if casting is 99% of the success of a show, kudos to Perry for his casting perfection!