Shakespeare lovers and haters alike — and even those who think they don’t know a thing about the 16th century English playwright — will leave the stage laughing when CLC students present “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged),” opening Nov. 11.
That’s what the play’s director and Shakespeare expert Dylan S. Roberts promises. The show features one female and two male student actors who attempt to perform every one of the bard’s plays, both drama and tragedy, even if for only a nanosecond, in fewer than two hours.
The show runs at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 13. Buy one ticket, get one free is offered Nov. 11 and Nov. 17.
“This play is a laugh riot,” said Roberts, who works as an independent director and actor in Chicago.
“It’s 80 to 90 minutes of just pure comedy,” he said. “You might learn something, but mostly you’ll leave with a stitch in your side laughing so hard. That’s why I love it. It doesn’t really feel like a play. It feels like three friends who are getting together to tell all of Shakespeare’s stories as quickly as they can.”
The play was written and revised by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield.
Throughout the play, the actors switch characters and change costumes, sometimes in a frenzy. “There are some naughty words in this show and there’s some adult humor,” Roberts added.
“Maybe 10 to 15% of the play is Shakespeare’s actual text,” Roberts said. “The rest is telling the stories throughout different modern lenses.”
For example, the play “Othello” is presented with some rap music, he said, while “Romeo and Juliet” features a modern-day play on words in the famous balcony scene.
When casting the actors, Roberts said whether they had knowledge of all of Shakespeare’s plays wasn’t important.
“More than anything I was looking for people who would be able to play and have fun,” he said. “It also helps if they work well with other people. There are two moments in this show when there’s only one person on stage at time. Otherwise all three are constantly on stage.”
One actor is doing Shakespeare for the first time at the play. “He’s having fun with it and bringing a voice to the characters that I think is helpful for audiences that might not know Shakespeare,” Roberts said.
The actress is a huge fan of Shakespeare. “She’s a Shakespeare nerd. She’s constantly trying to tell people how cool Shakespeare is,” Roberts said. “The third actor is totally resistant to Shakespeare,” and has to perform a monologue.
Bringing in a female actor to the CLC production “allows us to change some of the jokes in ‘Hamlet’ where some of Shakespeare’s characters are written a bit misogynistic,” Roberts said.
“We can play with that a bit. He’s just kind of a jerk. With a woman playing Hamlet, she’s able to comment on some of what Hamlet is doing and saying,” he said.
“For the entire play there are a lot of asides and references, there’s a lot of audience interaction,” Roberts said. “We’ll bring audience members onto the stage, for example to play Ophelia in ‘Hamlet.'”
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An audience member might be asked to scream, another to run around the stage. The rest of the audience may be asked to chant.
“There’s also a lot of switching costumes and changing characters,” Roberts said. “The costume designer is rigging the costumes so they can quickly make changes. They’ll have general funny costume wearing tights with funny boxer shorts and tennis shoes. For each different character they play, they’ll put on a different costume piece.”
The set is designed to look like an old den with bookcases and stuffy chairs. “By the end of the show it should look like a 2-year-old ran through and tore everything off the shelves. There will be costumes all over the place, props lying around,” Roberts said.
Roberts saw the show in Milwaukee in 2008 and then directed it at his alma mater University of Wisconsin-Parkside a few years ago. He’s directed and acted in many Shakespearean plays.
“Working with CLC has been great,” Roberts said. “These are some of the hardest working students I’ve met so far. They just bring such a joy and an energy to the rehearsal room.”
Roberts said the play can serve as an escape for audience members who need to laugh. “It will be hilarious,” he said. “It’s a universal show, where anybody can come to it whether you know Shakespeare or you don’t and have a good time and have fun watching three young actors make fools of themselves.”
‘The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)’
When: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19; 2 p.m. Nov. 13
Where: CLC Studio Theatre, 19531 Washington St., Grayslake
Tickets: $8-10, plus $2 facility fee
Information: 847-543-2300, jlcenter.clcillinois.edu
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.