Lyric Rep Brings you the Complete Repertoire of the Bard in 90 Minutes
The Lyric Repertory Company's version of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] stars (L-R) Mitch Shira, Cameron Blankenship and Lance Rasmussen.
The Lyric Repertory Company (Lyric Rep), part of the Caine College of the Arts at Utah State University, will open its 50th anniversary season June 16 with The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] at the Caine Lyric Theatre in downtown Logan.
Written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] is a comedy that parodies Shakespeare’s plays in comically shortened form with just three actors.
“I’ve watched rehearsals of the show, and at moments, laughed until I cried,” Dennis Hassan, co-artistic director of the Lyric Rep, said. “There are actors changing costumes and running around the whole time. It’s stand-up comedy meets improv troupe meets Shakespeare.”
The hilarious, mad-cap action ensues when actors Cameron Blankenship, Lance Rasmussen and Mitch Shira undertake the task of performing the entire repertoire of the Bard in less than two hours.
“This show has been pleasing audiences for decades and it’s no surprise to me that the Lyric Rep audience voted for its return for the 50th anniversary season,” Chris O’Connor, director of the show, said. “I’ve had the privilege of working on a good many Shakespeare productions during my career as both an actor and director and when Richie Call invited me to direct this production, I jumped at the chance.”
Improvisation plays an important role in this show and it is normal for actors to deviate from the script and have spontaneous conversations with each other or the audience. O’Connor hopes this production will stand up to its previous incarnation with Lyric Rep audiences.
“This show to me is essentially a clown’s take on Shakespeare,” O’Connor said. “I felt very fortunate when meeting my cast on the first day of rehearsals, to discover that they are all natural born clowns. We’ve had a joyful time exploring the hilarity of this show and in bringing as much invention and comedy that it can bear.”
Opening June 16, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] runs on select dates through August 4. Also part of the Lyric Rep 2017 season is Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Wait Until Dark and The Foreigner.
For more information and tickets, call 435-797-8022, go online to lyricrep.org or visit the Caine Lyric Theatre Box Office in downtown Logan at 28 West Center Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and one hour prior to curtain on show nights.
Writer and contact: Whitney Schulte, whitney.schulte@usu.edu, 435-797-9203
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