Review: 37 Birds, One Stone - THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED!) at Lakeside Community Theatre

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

By: Adam Long, Daniel Singer, Jess Winfield

Directed by: Austin Bender-Davis

Produced by: Lakeside Community Theatre

Audience Rating: PG 

Running Time: 2 hours with 15 minute intermission

Accessible Seating: Available

Hearing Devices: Not Available

Sensory Friendly Showing: Not Available

ASL Showing: Not Available

Sound Level: Comfortable

Audio/Visuals to Prepare For: Audience Participation

Reviewed by Bradford Reilly 

The world just celebrated the 462nd birthday on April 23rd of William Shakespeare. Any cultured person has heard of him. Even uncultured. I must ask: How many of Shakespeare’s plays have you read? How many can you name yourself? And have you ever wanted to see all 37 at once? Lakeside Community Theatre in The Colony has provided you the opportunity to answer all three with their production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged!) by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield!

 

Designer Rachel Velasco’s set transports us, appropriately, to the Globe Theatre. Sienne Riehle (playing themself) welcomes us on stage. With the looming threat of an adult puppet player prepared to perform in two hours’ time, it is the challenge of actors playing themselves Sienne, Patrick Britton, and Sara Parisa to present to us the Complete Works of William Shakespeare. To put on one is a feat in and of itself, so to do 37 in two hours… they’ll have to cut a little.

 

What transpires is a wonderfully fun evening of raucous, irreverent, intelligent, heartfelt, and earnest theatre as they successfully tear through 36 of the plays in one half and tackle the most famous - Hamlet - in the other. Because the play is full of high energy, the theatre is cold, so the actors don’t overheat… but Lakeside thought of everything to make everyone happy and provided blankets!

I commend Austin Bender-Davis in his direction for taking a comedy script originally written by the Reduced Shakespeare Company in 2002 and successfully updating many of the jokes for a 2026 audience.

A fair warning, because there are some that like to expect it - there is audience participation to be had, and your engagement is essential! It’s a good time and is not to be missed. 

 

There are two more weekends to see the show! Saturday, April 25 and May 1 at 8:00 PM, and a matinee May 2 at 3:00 PM.

 

Enjoy the show!

Bradford Reilly