Midland Theatre Guild Presents All of Shakespeare's Plays in Under Two Hours.

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PROVING THAT BREVITY IS THE SOUL OF WIT:

Midland Theatre Guild Presents All of Shakespeare's Plays in Under Two Hours.

By Mark Leffler

Okay, admit it. You consider yourself fairly well read but who can honestly claim to have seen the complete works of William Shakespeare. The Bard. Widely acknowledged, along with James Joyce and Jackie Collins, as one of the greatest writers in the English language. But there's what? Like twenty-two plays fer crying out loud.

Gentle reader, your prayers have been answered. Next month the Midland Center

for the Arts Theatre Guild will perform "The Complete Works of Wilm Shkspr:

Abridged", by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield.

This "salty, schleppy, slapstick" version of Cliff Notes runs a manic 105

minutes and manages, with only three cast members, all male, to reference

every play. They're all included, from the most popular ("Hamlet" and

"Romeo and Juliet") to the most obscure and rarely performed ("Titus

Andronicus" , "Troilus and Cressida", "Louis Louis IV").

The director, Midland veteran Jan Huff says she's having a blast. "It's

very off-the-wall. Like the Marx Brothers doing Shakespeare." When asked

how they manage to shoehorn in even the obscure plays like "Titus", she

laughs. "We have "Titus" as a cooking show."

Has anyone out there read "Titus"? Didn't think so. Trust me, you don't

want to know what's cooking. Seriously. And don't you kids go sneaking into

the library and trying to find out. But don't take my word for it. The

plays own publicity comes with this warning:

"This show is a high speed roller coaster-type condensation of the Bard's

word and is not recommended for people with back problems, English degrees,

inner ear disorders and for people inclined to motion sickness. CAUTION:

Not intended for those under 48". Contains adult themes. Salty -- Schleppy --

Slapstick."

And slapstick. Huff points out that the play was written and first

performed by a trio of twenty year olds. Costumes and props fly on and off

with a level of chaos rarely seen outside an Italian parliament.

The play is very physically demanding. "Some of our costume changes happen

in four seconds." She compares it to another play, "Greater Tuna", also

known for multiple characters played by two or three actors, which she also

directed. Comparatively, she says now, "'Tuna' was a cinch."

The actors, Joe Ely, Tom Osborne and Jeffrey Steger  juggle all the roles,

bedecked in tights and codpieces and generic Shakespearean costumes

designed by Nancy Berdesco and her costume crew. Huff praises the

volunteers contribution as well as the caliber and energy of her cast.

"The show was written by twenty year olds and we've got two fifty plus

actors. It's a strange mix and it's working beautifully."

Huff has previously directed "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "A Comedy of

Errors". She says the experience was useful because "at least I'm used to

Shakespearean form."

"The Complete Works of Wllm Shkspr: Abridged" will be performed November 3,

4, 10, 11, 17 and 18. For more information about the Theatre Guild shows

call  (517) 631-8250 or (800) 523-7649 or visit their website:

www.mcfta.org.

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