Cast members (l to r) Sydney Marks, Stephen Deininger, and Matthew Payne relax with poor Yorick. Photo by Nicolle Walker.
Is it possible to do all of William Shakespeare’s plays in less than two hours? For the Vagabond Players, it is! “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield, covers 37 of Shakespeare’s plays in a way that anyone can understand, with a lot of laughs and cross-dressing costume changes.
…100% funny…high-energy and hilarious performances.
Directed by Daniel Douek, the play is part-scripted, part-improvised, and 100% funny. All the parts are performed by only three actors—Stephen M. Deininger, Sydney Marks, and Matthew Payne. The actors move from role to role with high-energy and hilarious performances. Their comedic timing is on point, and they make good use of the full stage with their physical comedy which ranges from swords to daggers to hula hooping.
In this play, there is plenty of audience participation, and Deininger, Marks, and Payne interact well with each other and with the audience. Although there are plenty of funny parts in the show, highlights include a rap about “Othello” (complete with an African drum), “Titus Adronicus” as a macabre cooking show, and a football game based on Shakespeare’s many plays about kings. The play brings Shakespeare to life in a way that reading the plays at school never could.
Whether you want a good laugh or to enhance your understanding of what Shakespeare’s plays are about, “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” by Vagabond Players is a fun time. As they say in the show, the play will make you love your Willy.
Running time: Approximately two hours, including one intermission.
Advisory: May contain material recommended for mature audiences.
“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” runs through March 12, 2023 at 806 S. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231. For more information and tickets, go online. Face mask are highly encouraged.
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