The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) – Review by Sandro Monetti
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THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) at The Promenade Playhouse, Santa Monica <p< < p=””> </p< <>
The funniest show staged in Los Angeles so far this year sees a trio of brilliantly talented performers sum up all of the Bard’s plays in 97 hilarious minutes. <p< < p=””> </p< <>
REVIEWED by SANDRO MONETTI <p< < p=””> </p< <>
The funniest show staged in Los Angeles so far this year sees a trio of brilliantly talented performers sum up all of the Bard’s plays in 97 hilarious minutes.
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To see or not to see should not even be the question as this laugh packed theatrical event is a midsummer night’s scream.
Performed around the world for more than 25 years now, the show’s concept is that three actors with a passing interest in Shakespeare sum up his key scenes in a comedic Cliff’s Notes approach with songs and sketches.<p< < p=””> </p< <>
They depict Titus Andronicus as a cooking show, Othello as a rap number and present all the history plays a football game with the players battling for the crown instead of the ball. For the finale, there’s a hysterical Hamlet involving audience participation, puppets and cellphones.
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The Promenade Playhouse production works so well largely thanks to modern pop culture references being worked into the script – there are several great jokes at the expense of the Kardashian sisters – but mainly due to zippy direction by award winning Sarah Gurfield, whose Broadway experience shines through at this Santa Monica Rep production.<p< < p=””> </p< <>
Huge praise also to the quick witted, versatile trio of performers, Eric Bloom, Mike Niedzwiecki and, especially, Lucas Kwan Peterson whose comic timing and stage presence are just perfect.
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Don’t think you have to be a Shakespeare expert to enjoy this show as anyone with even a passing interest in the Bard of Avon will be hugely entertained. To paraphrase Hamlet, it’s “a very palpable hit.”<p< < p=””> <p< < p=””> </p< <></p< <>
*The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) presented by Santa Monica Repertory Theater
The Promenade Playhouse, 1404 Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Opened June 7. Runs through June 30, show times Fri at 8, Sat and Sun at 7
Admission $25. Students and seniors $15.
Phone: 213-268-1454<p< < p=””> </p< <>
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Thespian Thoughts is theatre review column on Actors Entertainment, a channel on the Actors Podcast Network, a Pepper Jay Production.
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