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‘Complete Works’ @ The Tavern
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
THEATER REVIEW. Through Aug. 6. Grade: C
A Three Stooges-like mayhem reigns at New American Shakespeare Tavern these days.
Actually, that might be too highbrow. The low vaudeville gags and physical stunts of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” make Moe poking Curly in the eye seem subtle.
The gang of Jeff McKerley, Tony Brown and Paul Hester exploits every outrageous pun, bodily-function reference and juvenile joke in the text. But why be a spoilsport? The sold-out audience lapped up every vomit scene, kick to the groin and bop over the head like the big bowls of ice cream served at intermission. And —- shades of “Peachtree Battle” —- the production is freshened with references to contemporary political figures and darts at the Atlanta theater community. They even joke about Snellville.
Of course, the crowd should love the show —- it plays a huge part in it. The players joke about and intermingle with the folks at the tables who, in turn, yell out jests and gibes that spark asides and ad-libs.
In a long sendup of “Hamlet,” a young woman is called onstage to play Ophelia, delivering a deftly timed Freudian scream after the audience is divided into three sections —- her ego, superego and id —- and shouts messages to her.
For Shakespeare buffs, the production fondly, but often tritely, makes sport of the plays’ absurdities. With exaggerated Scottish accents, for example, the cast targets the ancient theatrical superstition that mentioning “Macbeth” by name brings misfortune. A hip-hop “Othello” proves that white men can’t rap.
The production showcases McKerley, the Shakespeare Tavern’s over-the-top screwball who serves as Vegas-sleazy master of ceremonies and top banana. The audience deliriously responded to his outrageous costumes, adolescent clowning and exaggerated leers, but his relentless pratfalls grow tedious.
Brown makes a gentle, amiable Falstaffian presence. And the young Hester energetically goes into drag to play Shakespearean women from Juliet to Ophelia, always finding cause to puke up great streams of Silly String. In a welcome break from the gags, Hester nicely delivers the “What a piece of work is man” speech from “Hamlet.”
But that’s the only moment of the show “noble in reason” —- the rest is chaos. Those with an appetite for slapstick and off-color humor should have a rollicking time, but more squeamish folks will endure a long evening.
“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)”
THE 411: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 6:30 p.m. Sundays. Through Aug. 6. $16-$32. Atlanta Shakespeare Company at New American Shakespeare Tavern, 499 Peachtree St., Atlanta. 404-874-5299, www.shakespearetavern.com.
THE VERDICT: A gag-a-thon —- all 37 of the Bard’s plays presented in 97 minutes.
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