Complete Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged) Opens At YLT 3/13

Join three Shakespearean "scholars" at York Little Theatre for a riotous, whirlwind, roller-coaster tribute to the immortal Bard. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged takes on the daunting task of performing all of Shakespeare's 37 plays and 154 sonnets in less than 2 hours.

Hilarious mishaps ensue as the actors face endless challenges including who will play the women; how do you make the histories interesting; and how can you tell the difference between one Shakespearean comedy and another. Their irreverent and refreshing blend of madcap humor de-mystifies the Shakespearean canon as they use football, swordplay, pop-culture and more to illuminate the world and the language of one of the world's greatest playwrights.

Praised by the Los Angeles Times as "wildly funny;" by the Montreal Gazette as "the funniest show you are likely to see in your entire lifetime;" and by The New York Times as "Pithier than Python... irresistible;" The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged, was London's longest-running comedy - 10 years at the Criterion Theatre. It was created by The Reduced Shakespeare Company who offers the following warning: "This show is a high-speed roller-coaster type condensation of all of Shakespeare's plays, and is not recommended for people with heart ailments, bladder problems, inner-ear disorders and/or people inclined to motion sickness. The RSC cannot be held responsible for expectant mothers."

The Complete Works script encourages every cast to inject and incorporate its own unique personality so every production contains its own timely, local or topical humor. Director Chris Krahulec tackles this zany production for YLT with a cast of three local actors, R. Aaron Thompson, Toby Bradbury, and Todd Gutierrez.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged, performances are March 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 at 8 p.m. and March 15 and 22 at 3 p.m. Tickets may be purchased on line at www.ylt.org or by calling the box office at 717-854-5715. Complete Works is sponsored by Bradley Lifting and is part of the 2008-2009 Columbia Gas Season.

York Little Theatre is a nonprofit community theatre which values and nurtures the irreplaceable role of the arts and is dedicated to engaging and enriching its entire, diverse community in the dramatic arts through a broad range of professionally directed, entertaining, stimulating, and sometimes provocative performances.

York Little Theatre is located at 27 South Belmont Street, York PA at exit 19A of I-83, just south of Market Street. York Little Theatre is a proud member of The Cultural Alliance of York.

To post a comment, you must register and login.