The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)
When: June 16-20 curtains open at 7:30 p.m. | Where: Niggli Theatre, Western Carolina University | Box office: 828.277.7491

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), Western Carolina Stage Company’s first offering for this summer season, is difficult to classify. Neither farce, parody nor comedy in any conventional sense, this manic, rude and hilarious presentation defies more than definitions — it even refused to stay on the stage. Spilling out into the audiences, it frequently runs amuck up the aisles, and on one occasion even leaves the theatre.

In an armchair prologue reminiscent of PBS’s “Masterpiece Theatre,” one of the three actors (Tom Wilson) informs the audience that he and his two cohorts (Michael Ayers and Josh Cox) intend to produce all 37 plays (with a brief acknowledgement of the sonnets) in approximately 90 minutes. Further, he confesses, with the unabashed zeal of the Rev. Jimmy Swaggart, they will utilize crass and tasteless commercialism and shameless pandering to base desires to achieve their ends. (He proposes to eventually replace Gideon Bibles with Willy’s book). Then, a goofy marathon begins.

The show’s only set, a faux-Tudor assemblage, serves as backdrop for all of the plays. However, the antics of the nimble-footed cast, armed with an astonishing array of silly, irreverent and imaginative props, make scenery totally unimportant. A welter of fright wigs, bubble-wrap, Hefty garbage bags, tin swords, sock puppets and gaudy trinkets, rubber noses, toys, funny hats and whirly-gigs — all do yeoman’s service as props and costumes. In fact, the stage sometimes resembles a ravaged Dempsey Dumpster.

As for the 37 plays, well, most of Act I is devoted to Romeo and Juliet; and Hamlet (with assorted variations) comprises most of Act II. Everything else, including tragedies, comedies and histories, is reduced to an assortment of condensations, skits, and songs.The bloody “Titus Andronicus” becomes a Julia Child, “gore-met” piece.

Othello’s costume is covered with plastic boats (because he is a “moor”) and his tragic tale is turned into a rousing “rap-fest,” in tribute to the protagonist’s African origin. “Macbeth,” speaking in a nearly incomprehensible Scottish accent, finally has his head drop-kicked into the audience; “Julius Caesar dies wondering what the hell the “Ides of March” could be, and Cleopatra, when bitten by a rubber snake, promptly vomits on selected people sitting in the first row.

Within the compass of 90 minutes, the stalwart trio of Wilson, Ayers and Cox repeatedly change costumes, ethnic origin and sex with lightening speed and virtuosity. At times, they resemble Monty Python veterans or the performers in vintage “Saturday Night Live” routines as they run the gamut from “Three Stooges” pratfalls to (seeming) improvisation and ad-libs. The rapid-fire dialogue is laced with bad puns, sight gags and vaudeville routines. This performance is filled with surprises, too. Suddenly, a Shakespearean play becomes “performance art” (“Troilus and Cressida”) or transmogrifies into an “audience participation” event. For those who have wondered why Shakespeare can’t be more like football, there is a memorable routine in which the “histories” are condensed into a football game with the crown as a football. “Hike!” The crown is passed from Henry to Richard to Henry.

Is this fun? Oh, yes! Almost embarrassingly so, in fact. The entire night is a kind of celebration of “self-congratulatory ignorance.” We are encouraged to momentarily lose our sense of intimidation (which the Bard instills in most of us) and to revel in a night of impious behavior. I think my favorite comic device in this show is the tennis shoes. There is something especially outrageous about a Juliet or a Hamlet in tennis shoes. Then, there is the Punch and Judy Show that appears in the midst of “Hamlet” (The play-within-the-play, you know!) Also, let me mention that a large TV screen above the stage provides just the right touch of tawdry commercialism by promoting local restaurants – a perfect complement to routines like “Titus Andronicus.”

In conclusion, it is interesting to note that The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), has been around since 1987.

The original comic routines were created by three Americans who manage to keep it fresh and appealing by constantly re-writing and expanding it. The latest version has been running in London theatres for seven years. The authors are currently working on a production based on “The Great Books” series – Dickens, Jane Austin and Virginia Wolf fans, take heed.