Editor’s Note: Director Jeannie Marlin Woods and assistant stage manager Jess Hoffman are members of our Berkshire on Stage team of critics, but since we all work remotely, Dr. Kaplan-Reiss actually does not know them very well. We decided to overlook this minor conflict of interest in order to bring you news of this worthy production.

“All the world’s a stage” and seems to be filled with humorous Shakespeare, given that the last show I reviewed was the musical Something Rotten at Playhouse Theater in Washington Park. Who knew Shakespeare could be so funny? As director, Jeannie Marlin Woods notes in her letter in the program, Shakespeare can involve difficult language and can intimidate many. I freely admit I am no Shakespeare scholar. But, few of us are. The CompleteWorks of WilliamShakespeare (abridged), created by Reid Martin, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, is filled with so many recognizable lines we may not realize come from the Bard’s quill. The cast of this comedy (not a musical, atypical for the standard fare for SLOC) brings enormous wit to the Histories, the Comedies and the Tragedies, in record time.

Beginning the play in front of a lovely simple backdrop of a stage with a balcony and two openings for quick entrances and exits (designed by Matthew Mascelli), Chad Reid welcomes the audience and amuses us with local humor. We learn that, despite the simple Shakespearean costumes, all actors are acknowledging they are acting, playing themselves and directly engaging audience members. Opening the play spoofing Romeo & Juliet, a play everyone has studied in high school, puts the audience at ease.

Joining the cast is Ellen Cribbs, Joey Engh, and Caroline Jameson as Props Mistress Quickly, a non-speaking, comedic character who, as the name implies, provides the players with endless props. Cribbs sets herself up as the most educated about Shakespeare, yet it becomes apparent that she is not. She asserts, holding up a volume of Shakespeare’s work, “This book is found in every hotel room in the world.” What a lovely idea.

Reid, Cribbs, and Engh easily change genders, costumes, and wigs as they inhabit the numerous characters in Shakespeare’s plays. They are well versed in physical comedy, stage combat, and, under Woods’ direction, keep the pace fast as they zip through the different plays.

Performing all of Shakespeare’s works is no easy feat, and shortcuts must be taken. Within Act I, bits of Titus Andronicus, Othello, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, and The Two Noble Kinsman are performed, complete with wordplay, double entendres, and lightning-fast costume and wig changes. At one point, 16 plays are performed in five minutes, with many incorporated in a football game to heighten the excitement. Fun, silliness, and slapstick humor ensue. The script has been updated since it was first performed in 1987, with current references to ChatGPT, racism, sexism, and gender dysphoria, to name a few.

While the ensemble works incredibly well together, Engh is a standout in his comic skills, reminding me of Dana Carvey in Wayne’s World. His range is evident in a rare solo serious moment in Act ll when he does Ophelia’s soliloquy in Hamlet. While Props Mistress Quickly has no spoken lines, Jameson makes her presence known with adorable facial expressions and reactions to the other players. Her costume (designed by Patricia Sowle) has the most detail and fits her beautifully, considering she is the only character who has no changes. The costumes on the three other characters are more simple, with various easy-to-pull -on and off capes, dresses, hats and props to signify different characters. Bright colored, fun Converse sneakers make it easy to bound across the stage. Reid, also the fight coordinator, seems more comfortable with his scripted lines than in making small talk with the audience. Yet, we feel his warmth. Cribbs enjoys the Shakespearean language, and it’s no surprise she is a voiceover artist.

In Act II, with a focus on Hamlet, the audience is engaged in participating. In fact, with houselights up and cast members running in and out of the audience, the entire theater is used to create a communal experience.

Elizabeth Sherwood Mack coordinates all the dreadful wigs which add to the visual humor. Property Designer, Grace Ashley, amasses a huge amount of props, including dummies, puppets, swords, knives, books and Horatio’s skull, to keep the action moving.

Also the Lighting Designer, Miscelli, effectively provides the various effects of illuminating the different plays, moods and the audience in rapid succession. Director Woods adds the Elizabethan music one is used to hearing in Shakespeare movies.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) provides a completely good time. Shakespeare has not lost his relevance and that is why his plays continue to be performed. For those who haven’t the time to read through his canon or can’t find his work in their hotel room, checking out the abridged version in Schenectady is almost as good.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) by Reid Martin, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield, directed by Jeannie Marlin Woods, runs July 13-23, 2023 at SLOC Musical Theater, 427 Franklin Street in Schenectady NY. CAST: Ellen Cribbs, Joey Engh, and Chad Reid, with Caroline Jameson as Props Mistress Quickly. Understudy Keaton Poore. Set and lighting design by Matthew Mascelli; costume design by Patricia Sowle; wig design by Elizabeth Sherwood Mack; property design by Grace Ashley; fight coordinator Chad Reid; Producer Amy Jessup; Stage Manager Diana Chabai-Booker; Assistant Stage Manager Jess Hoffman. 

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) performances July 13, 15-17 & 20-23 with shows at 8 and 3 pm. Tickets are $22 and may be purchased online or by calling the box office at 518-730-7370. http://sloctheater.org/