Oakland Mills - The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged

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Permalink Reply by Caroline Cottrell on November 21, 2009 at 11:19pm

“We don’t have to do it justice. We just have to do it.” With a motto like this, the audience at Oakland Mills High School’s Friday night performance of The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) could tell that this act would be like no other.

This whirlwind of a show combines all 37 of William Shakespeare’s plays in under two hours. Originally written and performed by the Reduced Shakespeare Company, the piece is designed to be performed by only three men; however, the Oakland Mills Theatre Arts Department modified the script to include ten vibrant cast members. The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) is also meant to adapt and keep up to date current events. The actors supplemented the script brilliantly with their own commentary and recent political and media issues.

The cast “kicked some royal butt” during their version of the historical plays. They were portrayed as a football game, complete with a team of kings starring number 74, King Lear, and a crown in place of a ball. Laughs could not be concealed during Romeo and Juliet when Tybalt was slain with a fork, the star-crossed lovers were poisoned with a vial of swine flu, or when the cast broke out in song to Taylor Swift’s hit “Love Story.” Othello was told in the form of a rap song, the bloody Titus Andronicus was transformed into a hilarious cooking show, and Shakespeare’s comedies were combined into “The Love Boat goes to Verona.” This left Hamlet, in which the cast interacted with the audience and even performed backwards.

Marci Raymond led the cast beautifully as the leader of the troupe. Her consistent energy and dynamics kept the show moving. Will Eastham let his feminine side shine in his uproarious portrayals of Shakespeare’s many female characters, including Juliet, Cleopatra, and Ophelia.

Rebecca Martinez-Griewe was an exceptional Romeo, and Katherine Taylor allowed the audience to feel her pain when she could not complete her famous Hamlet speech due to her overwhelming feelings for Edward Cullen. Lastly, Stephen Fox played the perfect fool as he complained about the show and later escaped to Smoothie King.

Excellent lighting, music, sound effects, and props allowed the cast to succeed in their performance of The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged). So, “You Thank!” Oakland Mills for another entertaining performance.

Permalink Reply by Shelby Smith on November 22, 2009 at 9:52pm

"We've summed up all his comedies so we can move on to the tragedies, frankly we find them funnier." This is one of many funny lines in The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged recently produced at Oakland Mills High School. With a unique stage the actors raced around making a parody of each play by William Shakespeare while adding new references and allusions as well as lots of audience participation.
Usually a cast of 3 men performs this hilarious play beginning with Romeo and Juliet with a twist in characters then proceeds through many others including a Football game with the crown and even a dance to don't stop believing. At the end of Act 1 a character has a break down because he doesn't want to perform the dreaded Hamlet. Act 2 begins with a sole actress on stage but then she is joined and they put on Hamlet numerous times. It is an extremely funny play.
The overall production was due to the fabulous actors and the creative set design. There was great energy in the ensemble and each character had their own quirks and characteristics. It was very creatively funny with added in lines and references to things in life today.
Marci Raymond plays herself like everyone one else but with more lines as well as minor parts. She had great projection, inflection, and energy. Rebecca Martinez-Greiwe plays Romeo and several other male parts and she got into the guy characters with characteristics that guys have today but magnified. Will Eastham played all of the lead women roles in Shakespeare's plays. He had the most energy on stage and added fun quirks that a guy who had to play a woman would add. Jenna Pekofsky, although a freshman, was very strong in her acting and also played several male roles. What made those roles particularly funny is that Jenna is very small in stature but it full of energy. Stephen Fox had several funny monologues where he had great tone and he also had a believable breakdown on stage.
The rest of the cast Natalie Beach, Julia Celtnieks, Cally Roosa, Katherine Taylor and Jonathan Hunter were wonderful to watch and interacted very well together in shared monologues as well as sword fights. Each of the women played a man at some point and Jonathan played a woman. Each character had quirks; one example of this is Julia with many innuendos.
The most striking thing was the creative stage with various levels that the actors made full use of. The costumes were good and the lighting was timed perfectly. Each actor projected and microphones were unnecessary. What made this amazing is that many students helped participate in each of these areas.
This play may have been written to be funny but it takes an energetic cast as well as good direction to put on a comedy. Creating new lines and fresh ideas led to this play being a fresh exciting play.

Permalink Reply by Lindsay Guchhait on November 22, 2009 at 11:23pm

Vengeful ghosts. Repulsive wigs. Serving your enemy to your friends…on a platter. It sounds like a rather terrible soap opera or an even worse low-budget film, but Shakespeare? It’s not so far-fetched in Oakland Mills High School’s production of “The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged,” the cast of which aims to make the Bard’s works understandable to a modern audience through rather unconventional—and often deliberately misguided—means.

Working off of the assumption that the modern person has a short attention span and an inability to metabolize anything Shakespeare, the cast condenses the works into a two-hour, “contemporary-friendly” set, featuring a cooking show, a rap, and a football game. The speech is largely modernized (and those that are kept are satirized), and modern cultural references are constantly interjected. Audience interaction is a crucial element, and a conversational tone is often taken between scenes. The fourth wall—the idea of an audience—is effectively abolished, and everyone becomes a potential actor. Several members are chosen at random to appear on stage with the cast.

The original was written for a cast of three, so Oakland Mills’s cast of ten is a feat in itself. The risk of crowding is very present, but OMHS used the additional members as an asset. Scenes were explored more in-depth because more characters could be portrayed, and this, of course, led to more comedy. The lively cast and the ability of every single member to elicit a giggle from the audience kept the show exhilarating even as the script provided intentional “slow down” periods.

The exceptional cast featured Natalie Beach, Julia Celtnieks, Will Eastham, Stephen Fox, Jonathan Hunter, Rebecca Martinez-Griewe, Jenna Pekofsky, Marci Raymond, Cally Roosa, and Katherine Taylor, all of whom attacked their roles with a delightful zeal that brought the show to life. All were lively and animated, combining physical humor with the obvious verbal; and those who had to remain silent while another cast member delivered their lines never ceased to entertain, often through facial expressions or subtle movements. Each actor spoke clearly and projected their lines flawlessly.

The cast also took complete advantage of the set, which was composed of several levels. Where the action of most plays may have been hindered by such, “Shakespeare Abridged” only benefited from its cast’s interaction with it, as they ran, jumped, and otherwise frolicked across the stage. The successful choreography ensured that it never seemed crowded. Lighting was also effective, from the fantastic opening light show to the evocative lighting in individual scenes. The dozens of costumes throughout the play ranged from realistic to outrageous (the disastrous wigs worn by Eastham when portraying female characters), and altogether, lent the play a deliberately ludicrous air.

Oakland Mills combined over-the-top comedy with exceptional delivery for a truly remarkable production of “Shakespeare Abridged.” The satirical humor of this irreverent spin on Shakespeare’s classics can be shocking at times, but remains thoroughly enjoyable. And who knows? One may actually better understand Shakespeare because of it.

Permalink Reply by Hannah Lew on November 23, 2009 at 8:18pm

What could make Shakespeare more entertaining then condensing all of his masterpieces into one play? Why, adding vomiting, spit-takes and octa-mom with a beard of course. Oakland Mills High School’s production of The Complete Works of Shakepeare: Abridged combined all of these quirky elements into one, ingenious comedy.
The basis of Shakespeare: Abridged is simple, take all 37 of William Shakespeare’s plays (including comedies, tragedies and historical plays) into one. Then add in witty pop culture references, sarcasm, a historical football game and clever improvisation, and voila a comedy is born!
The production of this play was mostly rooted within the comedic brilliance of its actors. Much of the script was changed by the actors to give it a modern flair. The choice to eliminate the fourth wall that separates actors from the audience added an appeal to the play for those who enjoy being included in the fun.
In this production, the show is carried by 10 actors. The Host of the Show, as portrayed by Marci Raymond, guided the audience through the play comically. Her witty repartee with fellow actor Will Eastham, over his strange desire to constantly take the stage as a woman, was one of the actors’ many appeals. Actors Julia Celtnieks, Rebecca Martinez-Griewe, Jonathan Hunter and Katherine Taylor, epitomized modern comedy that thrived on the shows awkward moments. MIxed in on top of their sarcastic humor, was the adorable presence of Natalie Beach, Jenna Pekofsky, and Cally Roosa. Their form of comedy created those awkward moments that others thrive on, while still remaining cute. Then the audience discovers Stephen Fox who didn’t seem to fit into any of these categories. However, his need be uncooperative would be missed had he not have been in the show. Because much of the script was either improvised or altered by the actors, they had the ability to deliver lines in the exact way that they imagined upon conception; this was a treat for the audience because every line was delivered in such a manor.
Part of the brilliance of this script was the lack of the supporting actors, because all of the actors had major roles in the production. This allowed the audience to focus on their individual humor.
When all of these actors were thrown onto a stage with clever set design, lighting and costuming, it enhanced the comedy in a way that could only be imagined. Nara Allen’s multi-leveled set design was a beautiful stage for the show, adding literal and metaphorical levels to the acting. The simple lighting, designed by Ethan Knister and created by Sam Andrews, helped to create and interesting and highly appealing show.
The entire production of this version of,The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Abridged was modernized and performed in the best way possible. It not only left audiences wanting more of it’s wit, but also with a strange desire to go to a Smoothie King.

Permalink Reply by Sarah Niezelski on November 28, 2009 at 1:28pm

“All the world's a stage...one man in his time plays many parts.” This observation made by William Shakespeare is proven true in The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged. The dynamic cast from Oakland Mills High School took the audience on an adventure as they shifted from role to role and performed all of Shakespeare’s 37 plays in less than two hours.

This masterpiece, written by the Reduced Shakespeare Company and directed by Steven Fleming, is a collection of humorous parodies based on Shakespearean plays. The cast is composed of ten actors and actresses who star as themselves and perform as the various Shakespearean characters. The first act consists of the tragedies, a combination of the comedies, and then the histories portrayed as a football game. To the surprise of the cast, they forgot about Hamlet, which ends up filling the second act.

This production was notably energetic and captivating. The cast members created an engaging production for the audience by tearing down the fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience. When Ophelia needed to express her emotions, an audience member was called to the stage to scream while the rest of the audience participated as her alter egos. The fast paced transitions and scenes insured that there was never a dull moment.

Though every character in this production played important roles, two performers stood out through their sincerity and enthusiasm. Marci Raymond performed as an animated narrator who connected with the audience. When the rest of the cast was missing, she shared her concerns with the audience, leading the audience to feel needed and involved. Next, Will Eastham’s passion in his many roles captured the audience and created many uproarious moments. His love for feminine wigs and attempts to “drown” himself with a cup of water made his character hilarious. These individuals clearly brought liveliness and ingenuity to the performance.

The entire cast performed phenomenally and kept a vivacious, swift pace. Each character moved through roles and quickly used props efficiently. The cast did not use direct microphones but nevertheless had incredible projection. The cast had remarkable unity in their depiction of each scene and worked collectively even when improvisation was used.

The technical aspects of the performance enhanced its complexity and its effect on the audience. The stage setup, designed by Nara Allen, had many steps and levels which added a new dimension to the performance. The lighting, designed by Ethan Knister and operated by Sam Andrews, created a lively mood and helped convey the messages of each scene. The use of house lighting produced an inviting atmosphere and welcomed the audience to participate.

In every aspect of this production, the talent and skill of the cast and crew made the performance unforgettable. The vigorous cast showed the audience the extraordinary comedy behind their shortened versions of Shakespearean plays. The masterful fusion between pop culture and classical Shakespeare met beautifully and invited the audience to rethink their opinion of Shakespeare.

Permalink Reply by Amanda Ascoli on November 30, 2009 at 7:50am

What happens when Shakespeare meets Charlie’s Angels, light sabers, and a severe case of swine flu? Oakland Mills High School answered that and more with their production of The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged.
Written by the Reduced Shakespeare Company, The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged originally debuted in Edinburgh in 1987, and moved to London where it ran for nine years. The play’s uniqueness lies in its ability to stay current: the script is malleable so that regardless of where it is being performed, it is different. There are openings in the script for the actors to make pop culture references or to allude to events or places locally relevant.
Oakland Mills’ production was done with complete enjoyment by the actors and the audience. The fourth wall is torn down with flourish, and the casualness of the actor-to-audience interaction is refreshing. Shakespeare’s comedies, histories, and tragedies were put into a light far different than curriculum-based monotony, and after a light saber war, an onstage football game, a cannibalistic cooking show, and brief performance of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” the audience was completely won over.
The cast consisted of only ten actors, but the chemistry between them and the role versatility they were forced to possess (courtesy of the script, which was originally written for only three actors) made it seem like much more. Standout performances included Will Eastham, who kept the audience laughing consistently and was no stranger to skirts with his initial role as an unusually nonchalant, swine flu victim Juliet and his final character, a hyperbolic, spotlight-stealing Ophelia. Stephen Fox was equally pleasing to watch with his portrayal of a Julius Caesar who simply would not die, and Jonathan Hunter was memorable as a rapping Othello.
Marci Raymond sparkled as the narrator, and made the evolution of her desire to act as one of Shakespeare’s leading ladies immensely entertaining to watch. This enthusiasm was paralleled by Julia Celtneiks, acting as a genial, likeable Claudius and starring in the Iron Chef version of Titus Andronicus. Katherine Taylor did creative justice to the famous Hamlet monologue, managing to maintain a seriousness as Hamlet that contrasted humorously with the hyperbolic nature of the other characters. The individual performances united seamlessly for an impressive, energetic ensemble, and their astounding ability to project made the nonexistent microphones a non-issue.
The light, stage, and sound crews did a fantastic job of enhancing the performance. The lighting was impeccable and interesting, switching from blue to red hues in the more intense scenes. The set was seemingly simplistic, but as the play progressed its complexity was revealed. There were several trap doors, a staircase center stage that led straight into the audience, and multiple levels. Such a set was taken full advantage of throughout the play, and the mastery of the props ensured that props did not distract or detract from the performance but aid it.
Oakland Mills’ production of The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged proved that Shakespeare is anything but boring, making “To see, or not to see?” a very silly question.

Permalink Reply by Cecilia Farley on December 3, 2009 at 7:41pm

“That by which we call a nose would still smell!” Such is the general and hilariously comedic premise presented in Oakland Mills High School’s witty interpretation of “The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged” directed by Steven Fleming. Amidst Iron Chef Battles, fork stabbings, light saber duels, football games, Irish accents, and an incessant prattle of pop culture references, Oakland Mills has put uproarious twists on some of history’s greatest classics, all of which are sure to entertain even those who yawn at the thought of the Bard.

Originally performed in 1987 by three men of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, this popular collection of parodies has taken the world of theater by storm since its opening. The play was modified as a film directed by Paul Kafno in 2000 and has been adapted into countless stage productions since. Each interpretation may differ immensely from the original script as the performance of this play relies heavily on improvisation on the part of the cast and the breaking down of “the fourth wall” through audience participation. Set in time periods ranging from the very days of Shakespeare himself to modern day 2009, it begins with an introduction and brief biography of Shakespeare and then proceeds to tell the infamous story of “Romeo and Juliet.” “Titus Andronicus” shortly commences as a cooking show with ingredients chockfull of blood and gore. After a rap pertaining to “Othello,” and a collaboration of 16 of Shakespeare’s comedies entitled “The Loveboat Goes to Verona,” a combination of the histories modernized through a manic football game, and a brief taste of the tragedies, the cast then realizes the absence of “Hamlet” within their show. After intermission, the cast then advances to reenact Shakespeare’s greatest work, portraying “Hamlet” ambitiously at various speeds and even backwards.

The ten-person cast worked in an extraordinarily cohesive and genuine manner, eliciting peels of laughter from the audience with their clever knee-slappers. Each actor portrayed both themselves and also several other well-known Shakespearean characters in a fantastically exaggerated style, maintaining their quirky and eccentric characters even when the focus was not directly pertaining to themselves. As the narrator, Marci Raymond did a nice job setting the tone for the show, showcasing a bubbly personality and hilarious annoyance with the other cast members. Will Eastham also performed notably well as he caused the audience to roar at his seemingly spontaneous and wild actions.

Jenna Pekofsky, Jonathon Hunter, Stephen Fox, Natalie Beach, Julia Celtnieks, Rebecca Martinez-Griewe, Cally Roosa, and Katherine Taylor all acted in both an extremely amusing and smart manner through their countless witticisms and references to current events. Their enthusiasm and energy uplifted the audience as they took an exciting and unpredictable approach to their interpretation of the play.

The actors made good use of the space at hand. Although simple, the set was very effective and included levels which allowed the cast to move throughout the stage well. On a technical note, the use of colored lights was very impressive and worked well with the music. The actors used minimal sound enhancement during the performance, exhibiting an exceptional use of projection and enunciation.

Overall, Oakland Mills’s production of “The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged,” is a definite delight to both those who have and those who have not experienced the thrill of Shakespeare beforehand. Due to a breaking down of the fourth wall and creative interactivity, the audience is sure to be captivated and amused at this quick-paced and extremely entertaining rendition of the Bard’s work.

Permalink Reply by Ganesh Mysore on January 20, 2010 at 6:01pm

Bad productions of Shakespeare tend to be pitiful, yet somehow delightful to watch; lines are read with no motivation, actors are visibly inhibited by their effeminate costumes, and legendary scenes are mauled by unsure performers. Despite the poor quality of these shows, they are quite amusing. The actors of Oakland Mills proved that this comedic formula works with even a deliberately bad show in their performance of The Reduced Shakespeare Company’s The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). Making use of improvisational techniques, pop culture references, prop humor, and a ludicrously edited script, they ensured nary a dull moment on stage, or in the house.
Originally performed in 1987 by three men in Edinburgh, Scotland, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) was intended to be an ironic response and rebuttal to bad performances of Shakespeare. It was so well-received, that it moved to London’s West End, where it ran for nine years. The cast of every new performance is encouraged to take artistic license with the script, always keeping the show current. Even so, the show is not completely amorphous; the first act is comprised mainly of a shortened Romeo and Juliet (with cross-dressing), Titus Andronicus (enacted as a cooking show), and Othello, which is rendered as a rap song. The other tragedies are skimmed over quickly, and the comedies are staged in a frenzied vignette, combining all of their plots. The histories are presented in a brisk game of football, after which the cast realizes that they have skipped Hamlet. One of the nervous actors breaks down and runs of the house, and is chased by all but one of the others. In the second act, the cast covers Hamlet multiple times, once with mass audience participation. Each time, the pace gets faster, and the actors finish by performing it backwards.
The actors of Oakland Mills certainly took advantage of their artistic liberty, rewriting the show for ten people, referencing pop culture clichés, and using a plethora of props. Keeping the audience in mind, they alluded not only to celebrities but to high school textbooks and classes as well. With the ability to ‘modernize’ a script comes a chance to inject humor, and pop culture commentary is usually hit-or-miss. On a few occasions, the actors were left pandering after a wisecrack but they always restarted quickly with a well-timed interjection. Adding to the madness of the quick parodies were a variety of props, ranging from foam swords to feather boas, more ironically bad choices.
The set consisted of various levels and ledges, particularly stage right, always ensuring the visibility of all ten characters, and lending itself to interpretation as a balcony or reporter box as necessary. A trap door upstage left swung open from time to time, characters emerging with smoke and powerful interjections. A set of stairs into the house helped actors with the audience participation segment. Although the set was evidently cumbersome to traverse, the energy of the cast made it too distracting to notice. Lighting design is incredible; choreographed light shows, moving spotlights in the house, and strobes during music segments are handled beautifully.
Every actor displays remarkable range, playing various Shakespearean characters as well as stage versions of themselves, never losing focus during a comment or after their action has ended. For a character-driven play, the performance progresses rapidly, and the actors keep up with great commitment to the wackiness. In the second act, The King (Julia Celtnieks), dressed in suit and beard, joins the audience to watch the ‘play within a play.’ Boisterously full of quips, The King is completely different from her stage character, but the transition between the two is quick and seamless.
The actors of Oakland Mills have put on a delightful show, not just a witty comedy, but a loud, sarcastic satire on bad productions of Shakespeare. The tedium of covering 36 shows is surprisingly unnoticeable due to the sheer energy and commitment from the cast. It is a wonderful collection of lowbrow laughs in highbrow form.

Permalink Reply by Darby Dicks on March 28, 2010 at 5:07pm

There are many types of plays out there: comedies, tragedies, musicals, and histories to name a few. But what happens when you put them all together in one? The ultimate “Comedy of Errors.”. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged directed by Steven Fleming and performed by a cast of ten Oakland Mills actors combines Shakespeare's great tragedies, histories and comedies into one delightfully humorous and clever play.

One of the most memorable to be acted out was Romeo & Juliet. The reversal of roles, in which the female characters were played by boys and vice versa, for Romeo and Juliet turned out to be very funny. Othello was another memorable skit, which started out with Othello in downcast blue lighting and acted out in a rap song in which the story was summarized. Though a little difficult to follow, it was humorous and conveyed the main idea. The play ended with Hamlet, which took up the last half of the play, and including several audience members being pulled on stage and doing the play in about five seconds. Among these plays, the cast recreated Macbeth, Titus Andronicus, the histories portrayed in a football game, and a whirlwind of comedies.

The show was In the opening, right away it can be seen that one is in for a wild ride when the audience is asked about their prior knowledge of Shakespeare, and the lights dim for the first scene as note cards are read that claim Shakespeare was recently voted as the first African-American president of the United States. This is the first of many references to pop culture introduced throughout the play, as well as a scene in which light sabers are used in place of swords and Juliet catches swine flu. For those who don't know much about Shakespeare and those who do, this is definitely something they can laugh at.

There were many leads in this play, but not for each skit. Romeo & Juliet was one play that did have leads, with Will Eastham playing Juliet and Rebecca Martinez-Greiwe playing Romeo. Othello and Hamlet also had lead roles, with Jonathan Hunter as Othello and Katherine Taylor playing Hamlet. However, a play does not have to have a lead role to allow a character to be in the spotlight. In each of the skits, everyone had a part that was essential, whether it was under the sheet playing the ghost of Hamlet's father, or reciting the sonnet that begins Romeo & Juliet. No matter what it was, every person had a role in this play.

Despite the rather hard-to-follow dialogue during the compilation of seventeen comedies, the play was well delivered with witty remarks, and a clever stage set. The tiers, similar to giant steps, on which the actors stood provided a good view for all members of the audience, and turned out to be convenient for the scenes in which there were many things happening in both the foreground and the background.

This play was impressive and insightful, pointing out the common plot themes in Shakespeare's works. Perhaps most importantly for the audience, fun to watch. The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged is an upbeat play that will amuse you and will have you truly believe that all the world really is a stage.

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