Authors: Jess Borgeson, Adam Long, and Daniel Singer
Reduced Shakespeare Company
The Reduced Shakespeare Company [and its Compleat Works of Wllm Shspr (abridged)] has its genesis in the 1981 four person version of Hamlet written by Daniel Singer. Jess Borgeson was an English major at the University of California-Berkeley when he auditioned for Singer, was cast, and brought along his friend Adam Long to wear a wig and dress for all the female roles (he replaced an actress who broke her ankle in a pothole). In 1982 Long and Singer collaborated on a two person version of Romeo and Juliet. Borgeson eventually joined them, forming a three person performance troupe. They traveled all around California performing three person versions of both Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. Audience participation and high-energy interaction became central to their work. With forty minutes of performance between these two shows, the three realized that covering thirty five more plays in one act would give them a full-length play. Once finished, “Compleat Works” was showcased at the Edinburgh Festival in 1987. The show was wildly popular and remains so to this day. In 1988 Daniel Singer left for a job as a writer for Walt Disney Studios and was replaced by Ringling Brother clown Reed Martin. The show was made available for other companies to perform in 1994, and ended up being the longest running comedy in London. While the original three collaborators have since moved on to other endeavors, the RSC now has five abridged plays being performed both in the US and the UK.
With the (counterfeit) assurance that alls
well that ends well, we are reminded that
all the world's a stage wherein a person
plays many parts.
Where better to test this than in fair
Verona where two star-crossed lovers yearn
for each other regardless of ancient
grudges. This area of the world is also
well known for its fine, cutting edge cuisine
and Chef Titus Andronicus shows us
why with his distinctive meat pie.
For dessert, Shakespeare's long lost nautical play
is served up (sort of, but not really). A
question remains, however, as to why
the bard wrote sixteen comedies when one
entitled The Love Boat Goes to Verona
would suffice.
From here we shove off for the Machills of
MacScotland for Macfencing and MacMurder.
Meanwhile, back in the Empire, Caesar confronts
the Ides of March, Cleopatra vomits,
a lecture ensues, AND we can see why
Shakespearian drama in performance
really is a fun spectator sport.
Crazily cropping Coriolanus,
compleat are thirty-six plays in one act.
Hamlet remains. To be or not to be...
hilarious, that is the question. Oh.
Yeah. Look out for the sock puppets.
