BWW Previews: THINKTANK THEATRE'S COMEDY ALL THE GREAT BOOKS (ABRIDGED) at Straz's Shimberg Playhouse

On stage at Straz' Shimberg Playhouse on February 4-13 comes ThinkTank's production, ALL THE GREAT BOOKS (abridged). Flipping the all-male script, the ensemble features all women: local actors Katie Calahan, Katie Huettel, and Jessy Julianna under the direction of Brianna Larson.

Imagine having 89 of the best stories in classic to modern literature performed in a choreographed-chaotic, rapid-fire cliff notes fashion, and you will barely tap the surface of this energetic laugh-out-loud slapstick comedy that takes great pride in breaking the fourth wall.

"What's most exciting for me is this is a play traditionally performed by three guys, and it's been really fun to bring some girl power to it," said director Brianna Larson. "High-paced slapstick comedy is the most challenging work a performer can do. It's been really fun to watch these three fierce women tackle this really challenging comedy. It's been a pleasure for me.

We've set the play in the high school gym. I think the audience will love it because there's nostalgia. As they're reenacting these stories, they're randomly grabbing whatever items they can find in the gym to retell these classic tales. They're doing sword-fighting with hockey sticks, or instead of a traditional battle during a war, it's a dodge ball game."

Katie Calahan plays the professor.

"First of all, the professor is not a professor. She has an AA degree in theatre from an online university. But you must call her professor, and she takes herself and the presentation of this material very seriously. Having not made it to the Great White Way, this is her opus. This is her shot to show the world what she can do. In this case, the world is some remedial high school students. Her challenge is getting the rest of the cast to care as much as she does about the theatrical presentation of this material, which they don't," she said. "The first thing I thought when I read this script is a book nerd wrote this play. I very much mean that as a compliment. I'm very excited. Not only are there classic literature jokes, but we brought in some more modern references like Harry Potter, so I was delighted because I am a reader - big time. I get to be Don Quixote, and as an actress who knows I will never be the man of La Mancha, this is a huge deal."

The coach played by Jessy Julianna also takes the material seriously.

"She's the teacher no one messes with her. This is her opportunity to show that she's also a closet nerd. She knows about all of these different books. To her character, this is the Super Bowl of teaching. The whole play is kind of like an athletic event to her. It is a surprise to the professor that she and the coach have a lot in common. They're almost like frenemies, so it's hilarious to discover those moments 'oh, I love to hate you.' We both care but in very different ways, "she said. "One of my favorite scenes also comes from DON QUIXOTE. It's in Spanish, but the student-teacher is translating simultaneously. It's absolutely hysterical and so much fun. Any time I get to speak my native language on stage, it's a gift."

The youngest character is Katie Huettel's student teacher, who tries to keep up with the professor and the coach, but doesn't always know what she's talking about despite putting on a great front.

"I'm trying to prove my point. There is a line where I'm bragging, 'I'm awesome. I'm very smart,' but it just proves the point that I'm not always. I read the books but don't know what I'm actually talking about is my character," said Huettel. "In DON QUIXOTE, there's an energy that's so ridiculously funny. I'm translating a crazy scene in a calm, robotic Alexa-like manner. All of our parts just perfectly blend together. I can't really pick one favorite scene, but I love the end section where I'm rapid-fire encapsulating each book in a sentence. I love that there is no fourth wall, and I talk to the students. I hope after the play, the audience is talking about how they felt like they were part of the show, that they felt like they were not just the audience, but the students, and feel inspired."

Julianna hopes that the audience is talking about their special moments and the laughter.

"I hope they want to read more about what was really funny on stage. I want the audience to think, 'wow, those three very diverse women are funny and talented.' Between these two Katies and me, the diversity is incredible, and there are only three of us. Women are funny - that's what I hope they take from this and take note."

When asked what the message of the show was, Larson responded,

"The theme of the show is teamwork. They have a really specific task that they need to accomplish. Not just the actors on stage, but the audience is also in this with them. They are cast in the play and are important characters in the play. If we work together, we can accomplish the monumental task of learning about 89 books in an hour and 45 minutes."

Calahan said, "It has a big message about learning from the past. So many times, we bring up these outdated ideas in literature that have grown into more modern ideologies. Another message that goes along with working together is that you have to be to learn from your mistakes to move on. On the drive home, I want the audience to be talking about reading some of these books, but in reality, I think they'll be talking about how ridiculous the comedy is. I really think the world needs laughter right now. We just need to take a minute and just laugh."

Huettel added, "It's not a deep as Brianna's or Katies's, but one of the messages could be, 'and you didn't have to read them!' "

ALL THE GREAT BOOKS (abridged) is at Straz's Shimberg Playhouse, 1010 N Macinnes Place. Showtimes are February 4th, 5th, 11th, and 12th at 7:30 pm, February 6th and 13th at 3:00 pm, and previews February 2nd and 3rd at 7:30 pm. Tickets range from $20 for students and artists to $30 for adults. There will also be two Free Relaxed Performances on Saturdays, February 5th and 12th at 3:00 pm for those seeking a sensory-friendly opportunity to see the play.

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