From an audience of topless feminists in Oregon to prestigious heads of state at the White House, the Reduced Shakespeare Company has been exposing just about everyone to their infectious humor.
The group, which began in 1981, is celebrating 20 years of success. The company, known as the R.S.C., has traveled far and wide and has performed in 12 countries and entertained populations spanning from the grassy greens of Ireland to the rugged outback of Australia.
The group also has put their spin on Hong Kong, Israel and the good ol' United States, where they have performed in more than 44 states. Not surprisingly, the R.S.C. is virgin to New Mexican culture and influence, making their performance as part of Popejoy's Ovation Series on Sunday somewhat of a necessity.
The talk around the globe is that this show might make you pee your pants, or worse yet, might make you pee your pants twice.
If you're one of those people who really gets into their laughter, a Depends undergarment might prove beneficial.
What could be more serious than the ever-dramatized compilations of Mr. Monopoly of the Elizabethan Era?
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Yet, this 97-minute account of all - that's right, all - of Shakespeare's works contains rarities such as a rap version of "Othello," a consolidation of all 14 comedies titled "Four Weddings and a Transvestite" and a grand finale that includes "Hamlet" in three encores: really-fast, super-fast and backwards.
"The audience is left with dizziness and a sense of nausea," said Reed Martin, actor and contributing writer of the production.
So just how, exactly, do you fit the vastness of Shakespearean complexity in a mere hour-and-a-half? Simple.
As Martin explained, it's a matter of "cutting out all the minor characters and sub-plots and getting straight to the sex and killing." Sounds juicy, uninhibited and definitely worth watching.
Founders Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Borgeson along with Reed Martin, were compelled to write a compacted creation of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" because their performances originated at various renaissance fairs where the maximum time allotted for pieces was 30 minutes. Fortunately, the show was a success and led to the additions and assimilation of the remaining works.
It took 17 years, but the show was eventually nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 1997. It has also broken box office records at the renowned Kennedy Center, where the show was sold out for 8 weeks in a row.
The condensed tour is comprised of five contributors - three actors, a stage manager and a costuming coordinator. The simplicity of the R.S.C. causes both wonderment and prompts curiosity at the reason behind their notorious triumphs.
And yet, the answer is a simple one in itself - go see the show and find out for yourself! Tickets for the Ovation Series are being offered at a reduced rate of 40 percent off the preset price for a limited time. With prices like these, who can resist?
Shakespeare's works will always be held in esteem by cultures around the world, but it is seldom that one receives the opportunity to view such classical pieces in the form of a raw, uncut comedy.
Surely, this is a show that will strip away all preconceived Shakespearean clichÇs and impress upon the audience a new, more modern perception - thanks to the R.S.C.'s facetious intentions.
"The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged)" will be at Popejoy Hall on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $28, $25 and $19 and can be purchased at tickets.com, or by calling (800) 905-3315, or at the UNM Ticket Office.
