Pittsburgh City Paper: Because of a few karmic debts I had to work off, I spent much of my youth watching a lot of Shakespeare. I never could figure out what was more ridiculous -- his godawful writing or the swarms of people oohing and aahing over it. But there is an upside: I get the jokes in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), now playing at Apple Hill Playhouse.
Saturday, October 01, 2011
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
Pittsburgh City Paper: Because of a few karmic debts I had to work off, I spent much of my youth watching a lot of Shakespeare. I never could figure out what was more ridiculous -- his godawful writing or the swarms of people oohing and aahing over it. But there is an upside: I get the jokes in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), now playing at Apple Hill Playhouse.
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6 comments:
Having personally seen The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) I can absolutely say that it is a wonderful creation. There is no denying the genius that is William Shakespeare. That being said, the fact that not all can understand his writing is a shame. This solves that problem. Not only is the show hysterical and entertaining, It highlights some of the greatest moments in his plays. And while Titus and Hamlet may not be the most heart warming of shows The Complete Works manages to turn them and Shakespeare's other tragedies into the greatest of comedy gold.
Here's a hint, Ted Hoover; "god-awful" should be hyphenated.
Here's another: If you don't like Shakespeare that's one thing [and personally, I can't fathom why you don't, only that you still haven't forgiven your 10th grade English teacher for making you read Hamlet], but this "review" has little to do with any production that may be happening at Apple Hill Playhouse and more to do with the fact that you'll applaud anyone who thinks The Bard sucks as much as you do.
What I fervently hope is that you're never sent to review ANY actual production of one of Shakespeare's plays as I'm sure your review will boil down to, "THEY ALL TALK FUNNY AND THE MEN WEAR PANTY HOSE!! LOL!! THEY'RE ALL GAY!"
Asshole.
I thought I was the only person that did not like Shakespeare. Having said that, I do understand the draw to his writing; Shakespeare was a much better comedic writer than dramatic writer. I have seen other companies do this work and it is funny when done correctly. Hopefully this play try’s to tie in all of Bill’s humor and add a little bit of modern day humor.
I know a few people that adamantly dislike Shakespeare and claim that his work is grossly overrated and overdone. Personally, I think that reading Shakespeare is a challenge and after you learn how to read it, it's hysterical. However, I understand that for many people, Shakespeare as it was originally written seems dense and, yes, overrated. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) provides access to Shakespeare's stories to those who don't want to read them. Shakespeare is such a pervasive influence (whether that is positive or negative) on the theatre world and the world of literature in general, that giving audiences access to it, however abridged, is a good thing.
I think that this is a great way to get more people interested in Shakespeare it makes it more accessible and can spark people’s interest about Shakespeare’s full plays. This show pulls people in with bits of each show hysterically combined with each other. Definitely a worthwhile show.
I've seen this show a couple of times, and I remember enjoying it even as a younger kid. It appeals to a wide age range, and it does help make Shakespeare a bit more accessible. I couldn't tell from this review if this is the case, but TCWOWS(A) is much more successful when done affectionately--poking fun at Shakespeare's stories but still respecting the work.
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