interACT Theatre Productions, a company founded in 2009 in South Orange, will present the hilarious spoof The Complete Works of Williams Shakespeare (Abridged) at the Baird Center beginning on Friday, April 1 (no joke!) and running through April 10.
The play, written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield, takes you on a wild ride through the Bard’s 37 plays in under two hours, jumping from Romeo & Juliet to Titus Andronicus to Othello and Julius Caesar, and that’s just part of Act One! And in addition to the famous Shakespearean dialogue you’ve heard or read before, this show has Improv, rapping, choreography, and audience participation. Just three male actors make up the cast – Erik Gaden, Christopher Clark, and Andrew Usher – so there are many costume changes (and lots of wigs!) between them during the show.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) was first performed by Long, Singer, and Winfield in 1987 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and then later played in London for nine years, becoming the city’s longest-running comedy. What keeps it fresh all these years is later is that the script urges productions to change certain lines to keep it current and modern, and to throw in pop culture jokes so the audience stays even more connected with the performers. This specific production may include strobe lights, stage violence, vulgar language, and other adult content or situations, and is not recommended for audience member under the age of 13.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
April 1 – 10. Friday and Saturday performances at 7:30 pm / Sunday matinees at 4 pm
The Baird, 5 Mead Street, South Orange, NJ
$10 general admission tickets can be purchased online here