The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged opens Wednesday, February 23rd in our Morton Hall Black Box Theatre. The play is by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield and will be directed by Dr. Chad Thomas, Associate Professor of English at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Three actors present all 37 plays by William Shakespeare in a hilarious evening of theatre. An irreverent, fast-paced romp through the Bard’s plays, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) was London’s longest-running comedy having clocked a very palpable nine years in London’s West End at the Criterion Theatre! Join these madcap actors in tights as they weave their wicked way through all of Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies in one wild ride that will leave you breathless and helpless with laughter.
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Director's Note:
Directing The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) is an admittedly odd choice for someone as devoted to Shakespeare as I have been in my professional career. In a former life, I used to act with Shakespeare in Santa Fe. Later, I wrote a dissertation and several journal articles that focus on Shakespeare and Shakespeare Studies. At present, I teach undergraduate and graduate courses on Shakespeare for UAH and have directed a number of Shakespeare’s plays for Theatre at UAH. Plus, I continue to produce, direct, and act with Huntsville Shakespeare. Why, you may ask, am I directing this show instead of a play that Shakespeare actually wrote? I’m so glad you asked!
First of all, this show is funny! All of us have had an incredibly difficult couple years and, frankly, there haven’t been a lot of opportunities for laughter. We wanted to change this and offer you a chance to forget your troubles and enjoy 37 plays in 97 minutes. The New York Times called this show “Pithier than Python. Irresistible.” The Miami Herald raved, “Shakespeare as it was back in the Bard’s day: bawdy, irreverent, sublimely entertaining.” And according to the Today Show, “If you like Shakespeare, you’ll love this show. If you hate Shakespeare, you’ll love this show!” So there is truly something for everyone with this show.
And second, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) is a difficult show to produce, so we did for the challenge! Coming into this, I knew it would require a major commitment from designers and technicians, but I had no idea just how much stuff had to happen for the show to succeed. Student designers did an incredible job with costumes, sound, and lighting. The set is inspirational, the wigs are hysterical, and the assortment of props is truly astonishing. Plus, I cast at least two actors in each role, and they all worked so hard – not only did they have to learn lines and differentiate between characters, they had to fight and dance. (Needless to say, the choreography is amazing.) This show rejoices in the collaborative nature of theatre – and it is our gift to you.
We hope you have as much fun watching The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) as we had preparing it!
-Dr. Chad Thomas Director
PROGRAM
Photo Credit: Chris Baker C Scott Photography