Photo Flash: Jobsite Theater Presents THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) [REVISED]

Jobsite Theater continues their 20th Anniversary Season with another "greatest hits" return! They've dusted off their trunks full of everything from skulls to skirts and daggers to dinosaurs for a revival of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] running Mar. 15 - Apr. 7 in the Shimberg Playhouse at the Straz Center, where Jobsite is resident theater company. Having shrunk Willy's wit and wisdom into manageable morsels of madness, they tear around the stage in doublets and Converse on a riotous romp through all 37 of Shakespeare's plays plus the sonnets all in an hour and a half.

In this cult hit written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield the full works of the Bard have been edited into just 90 minutes to be performed by three actors. All 16 comedies are distilled into one sketch and the history plays are wound together into a football game. The complete works of William Shakespeare in one evening? Ambitious? Foolhardy? Insane? Absolutely! This is a new version from what Tampa Bay area Bardophiles have previously witnessed, not only (abridged) but now [revised] to work in the best gags from productions around the world and inclusive of Jobsite's own signature shenanigans.

Audiences will be forced to throw out every preconceived notion of Shakespeare as Tampa's original Bad Boys of Abridgement condense perhaps the greatest literary canon into a single theatrical experience. Originally produced by Jobsite in 2001, it played to capacity crowds for a three-week run and was brought back five times between 2001 and 2005 for sold-out command performances in the Shimberg Playhouse, the TECO Theater, and the Largo Cultural Center. It was named a Top 10 production of 2001 by both Weekly Planet and The Tampa Tribune and continues to be one of Jobsite's most memorable productions. Jobsite followed this success with even more mash-ups: The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged), The Complete History of America (abridged), All the Great Books (abridged), and Grimm's Faery Tales.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] stars David M. Jenkins, Spencer Meyers, and Shawn Paonessa. The show is directed and costumed by Katrina Stevenson with set and light design by Brian Smallheer and original music composed by Jeremy Douglass.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] plays Mar. 15 - Apr. 7, 2019. Tickets start at $29.50 and increase by performance based on demand. Preview performances are March 13-14 at 8pm, with all tickets starting at $18. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] is also available as part of a season pass for the remaining three shows of their season. Rush tickets to individual performances for students, seniors, military, and Theatre Tampa Bay members start at $18, and are available on remaining seats as of 30 minutes prior to curtain with cash and valid ID at the Straz Ticket Office window.

Photo Credit: Pritchard Photography

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