Shakespeare SparkNotes With A Twist

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) sounds like the kind of show an overwhelmed high school student might attend to cover their bases for English class without actually doing the reading. Any such students in the audience of Southwest Shakespeare's production (running at the Mesa Arts Center through September 30), however, will find themselves getting much more than they bargained for.

Photo: Southwest Shakespeare Company (Facebook)

Originally written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield for the Reduced Shakespeare Company, the play is exactly what it says on the label: three actors (Breona Conrad, Louis Farber, and Alexis Baigue) present an overview of all 37 works in just over 90 minutes. What the title doesn't say, however, is just how they accomplish this - and therein lies the comedic gold. This isn't Shakespeare For Dummies; indeed, although newbies will enjoy the show, some of the best jokes are sly references that expose just where the biggest nerds in the audience are sitting.

The show takes more time on some plays than others. A twelve-minute condensed Romeo and Juliet opens the proceedings; the balcony scene between Conrad's Romeo and Farber's Juliet is a deadpan delight. But afterwards is where things really pick up. The gleefully line-crossing pairing of a cooking-show Titus Andronicus and a white-boy-rapping Othello takes on two tragedies, while the condensing of every comedy into a single segment results in madcap madness that underscores the ridiculous nature of these classic comedies.

The one weakness of the show's structure is a forced device that leads into and out of intermission. The show works best when it focuses on the actors' nimble switching between roles and their asides to the audience, so the awkwardly shoehorned act break lands a little stiffly. However, on the other side of it is the highlight of the evening: a version of Hamlet that manages to condense the story while still diving into the characters. Sock puppets, spitting water, and loud audience participation all show up, followed by several "encore" variations of the play, getting more ridiculous each time.

Photo: Laura Durant

It takes a certain touch to pitch this kind of comedy, and director Debra K. Stevens manages it skillfully, keeping the tone just on the right side of over-the-top and making use of every inch of the small stage area (and some of the audience sections, too). The trio of actors are equally up to the task. Conrad channels a wide array of characters, with her Paula Deen impersonation in the Titus section and a hilariously whiny Romeo as highlights. Baigue preens, smirks, and occasionally takes on a dryly humorous narration as the closest thing the company has to a "straight man." As for Farber, he conquers an increasingly ridiculous series of wigs, skirts, and, most memorably, a hoverboard, en route to the biggest laughs of the night.

Ribald jokes, "borrowed" stories retold, and cross-dressing. Shakespeare would be so proud.