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If you never thought Shakespeare could be fun, Gaslight Theatre is ready to change your mind.
“This is kind of an infectious comedy,” artistic director Dave Reynolds said as he looked forward to Thursday evening’s free presentation of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged.) “It can really hook a lot of people that would not ordinarily be interested in Shakespeare.”
When you consider that bits and pieces of all 37 plays, from shipwrecks and sword fights to mistaken identities, romance and revenge, will be crammed into 90 minutes, you realize it will only become more amusing, the faster the pace.
“They all play lots of everybody” Reynolds said of actors and Gaslight Theatre board members Dane Bower, Tim McDermott and Jason Alfano. “Jason has the majority of the female roles. He’s Ophelia and Juliet and pretty much all the ladies. Cleopatra, too.”
“The great thing about the show is, it demands to be ad libbed. At least 50 percent of it is improv, with a lot of side conversations they have among themselves.”
Wilkes-Barre’s Riverfront Parks Committee is sponsoring the Sept. 12 show, which had originally been scheduled for 6 p.m. at the outdoor amphitheater by the Northampton Street Portal. Because of a rainy forecast, the venue has been changed. The show will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 12 at Downtown Arts, 47 N. Franklin St. in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
“I understand completely,” Reynolds said, “but it’s kind of a bummer that we won’t be outside.”
Whether the show is indoors or out, it’s designed to engage the audience, with call-and-response activities plus a chance for a few audience members to join the actors onstage and portray some characters.
And don’t worry too much about strutting and fretting. It will be fast.
“Abridged is a very important word for the show,” Reynolds said.
You’ll be amazed how quickly the actors can present the “Hamlet” portion of the production. And how they can do it again, even faster.
If you miss Thursday’s performance in Wilkes-Barre, you can attend the next performance, also free, set for 6 p.m. Sept. 14 at the new Amphitheater located behind the Pittston Memorial Library, to the rear of 47 Broad St., Pittston.
Next weekend, three performances are set for 8 p.m. Sept. 20 and 8 p.m. Sept. 21 and 2 p.m. Sept. 22 at Downtown Arts, 47 N. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre, with tickets $15 and $12 at the door.
