If you donât
like screaming, dancing, ugly wigs, Destinyâs Child, (fake) vomiting,
audience participation or poking fun at the worldâs most famous
playwright, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Revised)
is probably not for you. But if you do, Post5 Theatreâs third annual
production of the comedyâwhich tears through all of the Bardâs 37 plays
in 90 minutesâis a good bit of fun. Directed by Cassandra Boice, the
show stars Chip Sherman, Alex Klein and Ty Boice, who all contribute
some of Post5âs signature contemporary spin. âDo you bite your thumb at
me, dude?â begins Romeo and Juliet, a swift seven-minute romp
that includes cross-dressing, ribbon-dancing and an epilogue performed
in barbershop-quartetlike vocals. The histories become rather violent
football games, and Othello is a beat-boxed, laser
light-illuminated rap show. Some of the jokes are a little off-color,
but the cast shines with impressive flexibility and chemistry
throughout, as well as an amusing willingness to laugh at themselves.
Highlights include Ty Boiceâs perfectly timed splash of water to the
face to signify a drowning Ophelia, Shermanâs over-the-top, boa-wearing
nurse in Romeo and Juliet, and Kleinâs pompous air of
intelligence as the narrator. âAllâs well that finally ends,â one of
them says, and with a reverse-order Hamlet, this yearâs version of Complete Works definitely ends well.
SEE IT: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Revised) is at Milepost 5, 850 NE 81st Ave., postfivetheatre.wix.com. 7:30 pm Thursdays-Sundays through June 28. $15.
WWeek 2015