Shakespeare lovers and haters alike can experience laughter as the East Central University Theatre Department launches its first production of the 2015-16 Fine Arts Season with “The Compleat Works of WLLM SHKSPR (abridged) [revised],” Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 8-10, in the Chalmers Herman Theatre inside the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center.
Four performances are scheduled with three nightly shows at 7:30 p.m. and a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. There is a language advisory for the performances.
The show features three overachievers attempting to perform all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays in 97 minutes in a fast-paced, witty and physical evening of laughter.
According to the back cover of the acting script, “To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Reduced Shakespeare Company’s classic farce, two of the original writer/performers Daniel Singer and Jess Wingfield have thoroughly revised the show to bring it up to date for 21st century audiences.”
The cultural touchstone that is “The Compleat Works of WLLM SHKSPR (abridged),” was born when three inspired, charismatic comics, having honed their pass-the-hat act at Renaissance Fairs, premiered their preposterous masterwork at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1987 in the United Kingdom. It quickly became a worldwide phenomenon, earning the title of London’s second longest-running comedy after a decade at the Criterion Theatre.
This production will include two separate casts alternating the four performances. Thursday and Saturday nights will feature the female cast of Jennifer Hertel of Claremore; Maggie Payne of Tishomingo and Miranda McNabb of Bristow. The Friday night and Saturday afternoon shows will feature the male cast of Chad Woods of Ada; Wyatt Freeman of Lone Grove and Trey Shofner of Ada.
Both shows feature Allie Bush, of Tulsa, as an onstage Foley Artist. The show is directed by Dr. Richard Groetzinger and assistant director/stage manager Annette Lorraine Wright, of Henryetta. Lights for the show were designed by Jessica Fulgium, of Eagleton.
Seats are limited to approximately 100 per performance. Tickets are $10 for adults, $9 for alumni and senior citizens and $7 for non-ECU college, high school and junior high students. It is free for ECU students, faculty and staff with identification.
Tickets may be purchased online at ecok.edu/FineArts or by calling 580-559-5751. They can also be purchased at the box office in the David A. and Alma R. Lockmiller Grand Lobby of the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The box office will also be open one hour before each show. Tickets ordered online can be printed at home from the .pdf option in the email that will be sent to you. By ordering online and printing at home, lines at the box office can be avoided prior to each performance.
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