Review: Shakespearean Smorgasboard: Texas Wesleyan Presents THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (Abridged) [Revised] (Again.)

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] (Again)

By Adam Long, Daniel Singer, Jess Winfield

Directed by Connie Whitt-Lambert

Produced by Theatre Wesleyan

Audience Rating: PG

Running Time: 2 hours with a 15 minute intermission

Accessible Seating: Available

Hearing Devices: Not Available

Sensory Friendly Showing: Not Available

ASL Showing: Not Available

Sound Level: Comfortable Volume

Noises/Visuals to Prepare For: Flashing Lights (Act 2)

Reviewed by Ellie Nunemaker

William Shakespeare is one of, if not the most, respected writer of many generations. Often referred to as ‘The Bard’, Shakespeare wrote over 30 plays in his lifetime and it takes some of the most courageous and intuitive actors to successfully perform even one, let alone all 37. In one night only, in under two hours there is a small troupe of three making audiences cackle in Fort Worth at Texas Wesleyan University and flawlessly tackling the task of performing all of Shakespeare’s repertoire in a way that is hilarious, quick and understandable.

We are welcomed into the show by Tristan Andrews, who plays himself (as well as a variety of other characters in Shakespeare’s shows.) Andrews is extremely magnetic and charismatic onstage as a host and delivers his comedic lines effortlessly. Through the story we also see that Andrews has a vast range of characters he can deliver confidently in physicality and words. From the romantic Romeo to the aging Polonius Andrews’ energy does not falter once.

To begin our trip through Shakespeare’s plays, Andrews tells us the story of how he used his first pennies to purchase The Complete Works of William Shakespeare and brings out someone who he claims to know more about Shakespeare than anyone he knows. 

Roman Posner plays the part of the Shakespeare enthusiast/purist (and the secret reality TV lover) with all of their might. Posner has an extremely commanding energy onstage and comes out of their comedic shell through the length of the play and by the end has burst with energy and life. As the energy got more chaotic on-stage Posner continued to match the energy perfectly at every new twist and turn.

The last member of the Shakespearian trio is Aaron Simmons who plays almost every female character in the 37 shows the show covers. Simmons is a delight to watch onstage and made me laugh like I have not laughed in a long time. The chaotic but loveable character Simmons plays has the range that even the bravest actors tremble at, playing Ophelia one moment and King Claudius the next, Simmons pulls this off impeccably.

As a trio, Andrews, Posner and Simmons are exceptional. The chemistry and dynamic these three have made every single thing they did stunningly hilarious. The way the trio passes around energy in the scenes in the show is simply a masterclass in comedic timing and how to be an active scene partner. Watching only three actors pull off all of Shakespeare’s portfolio and master the most insane quick changes was absolutely the best way to spend a Saturday night. 

Every single technical aspect of this show served it even more so, from the million stackable costume pieces (Designed by Jazmin Rebollar and assisted by Madisyn Savard) to the prop skull rolling across the ground and godzilla toy that spit smoke (Designed by Nathalie Beyna and assisted by Trent Cole). Wrapping up the design of this show very nicely was the lighting design, done by Colin Schwartz. Schwartz made the most intense moments in this show (or what is supposed to be intense but soon became hilarious) beautifully dramatic and also gave the lighthearted effect that most of the scenes called for. The trio plays with the technical aspects of this show a ridiculous amount and it is very clear that not only was the design of everything exceptional but the cue calling was on point the entire time.

Attempting to perform every single play by William Shakespeare in one night sounds completely ridiculous and that is exactly what makes The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] so much fun. This high energy comedy throws out any sense of seriousness in favor of audience interaction and delightfully chaotic storytelling. Instead of treating Shakespeare like something distant or solely academic, the show invites audiences to laugh at the absurdity, appreciate the brilliance, and rediscover why these stories have survived for centuries in the first place.

This show runs until March 8th at Texas Wesleyan University, and you will be sorry if you miss out on this show!! Tickets can be purchased at txwes.edu/academics/artssciences/undergraduate-majors/theatre/box-office

Catch the magic while it’s live!

Ellie