The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

Oh . . . my . . . god. I just saw this movie last night and it was the best and the hardest laugh I'd had in a long time. My back was killing me by the time the movie was over. The costume changes (if you could call them that by the end of the movie) are great, the vomiting is great, and the digs at academia are great. Even though it warns that this movie is not meant for English majors (I'm an English major and I can't wait to see this movie again), I think that they really mean that it's not meant for those who take Shakespeare way too seriously, who view Shakespeare as some sort of demi-god.

Only two complaints: The director cuts to the audience a little too much. You can hear that they're having fun, they're laughing, they're getting into the play, we don't need to see their reactions as well. The action goes by so quickly, I wonder if I'm missing something on stage when they cut to the audience. The other complaint: my friend sitting next to me who was viewing it for the fifth time ("Oh, this is great," "watch this," "Oh this part's funny.")

Definitely for anyone who's read Shakespeare (which would be everyone) and thought that it could never be anything but dull and boring (which in reality his plays are very rich, but then again I'm biased). :-)

10/10

I first saw this filmed version in my freshman year in high school when I was just starting to appreciate the works of Shakespeare, and this has just made me fall in love with the Bard more. Ever since I first saw this, I've seen it hundreds of times and even read the script, only to find myself still laughing. Watching Austin, Adam, and Reed is like spending 90 minutes with three best friends who only want to entertain you. Seeing it live was indeed a highlight and I don't think I'll ever stop listening to the Othello rap. The comedic timing is hilarious and their talent at improvisation is priceless. Reduced Shakespeare Company, you've made my life so much more complete. :)

Only this could contain the unholy pairing of wit and stupidity, roll it up in insanity and call it brilliant. Having just seen it, I must say it's one of the better(if not the best) satires of Shakespeare's work.

A great performance is given by all actors, who you can tell are dedicated to their craft. A particularly good performance is given by Adam Long, who has a sweet aloofness about him that is instantly charming. Austin Tichenor is amusing and likable, and Martin Reed has good comedic sensibilities. I hope to see more work from these actors in the future.

This movie had me laughing almost the whole time, and is very quotable. The only issue I have with it is it's jumpy hyperactive nature which is exhausting to watch, particularly in the Romeo and Juliet sketch. After the first fifteen minutes you will feel tired, but once they launch into their other acts you will grow accustomed to their style and love every second of it.

A wonderful show you should try watching at least once.

Do you know that it is possible to see all 37 plays of the playwright who is considered by many as the greatest ever lived in the show that is under two hours? I did not - until yesterday when I saw The "Reduced Shakespeare Company - The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)" slapstick show that actually compresses all bard's plays in the 90 minutes of wild ride and pure hilarity. Three members of The Reduced Shakespeare Company Adam Long, Reed Martin, and Austin Tichenor act, comment, sing, and not only entertain their theatric audiences but also make them participate in the most hilarious production of "Hamlet" I ever seen. If you never read or seen any stage or screen adaptations of a Shakespeare's play, you still will enjoy the show thanks to the great timing, perfect communication among three performers, and unorthodox but always hysterical way to present each of the celebrated works by the most revered author. As it was the case in the 16th Century's theater, where the male actors play the female heroines, Adam Long plays tragic characters Gertrude, Cleopatra, Juliet, and Ophelia and he is incredibly funny yet strangely sympathetic as the unfortunate ladies. Long, Tichenor who plays always serious scholar and Martin, the clown, acrobat, musician and illusionist of the show all complete one another beautifully. Adam Long and Reed Martin together wrote the script to the show, and found some very original and enjoyable ideas on how to present the plays, all 37 of them in such short period of time. I liked Titus Andronicus Cooking Horror Show. I had a lot of fun listening to and watching "Othello" as a rap song:

"Here's the story of a brother by the name of Othello. He liked white women, and he liked... green... Jell-O. Hey, yeah! And a punk named Iago, made himself a menace because He didn't like Othello, the moor of Venice!"

I absolutely adore the idea of condensing all 17 the comedies in one long sentence that was made up of all the titles to leave more times for the tragedies (because I agree with Adam, Reed, and Austin that Shakespeare's tragedies are funnier).

After enjoying so much "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)", I am ready for the others Reduced Shakespeare Company's projects, "The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)", "The Complete History of America (abridged)", "Western Civilization: The Complete Musical (abridged)", "All The Great Books (abridged)" , and "Completely Hollywood (abridged)".

This filming of a 3 person stage act is hilarious even if you know little about some of Shakespeare's plays. The plays you are most likely to know are emphasized - Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet - with sly contemporary asides to the audience mingled amongst the sometimes don't-blink-or-you-will-miss-it performances of all of Shakespeare's plays. The entire production is laugh out loud entertainment. Adam Long, who acts like the dumbest member of the trio, is the genius behind this production. He has other works like the Complete History of America and The Bible Abridged, but, as far as I know, none have been performed for video. This is the one chance to see his comic brilliance on tape.