The Complete works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) - High Springs Edition

6/10

If the best measure of a play is the way that it makes the audience feel, then The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) at the High Springs Playhouse is a rousing success. Playing to an audience of the young and old alike, the actors poke fun at a myriad of topics, some of which are certainly at risk of not landing with a small town crowd. The play values irreverence to both Shakespeare and cultural norms and the silliness of it creates a lighthearted evening of live theater.

However, at nearly 2 hours (not including intermission), there is room for improvement. The premise of the play is "37 plays in 97 minutes," with productions often coming in around 90 minutes. Having seen the recent performance of this show at the Hippodrome, the additional 20-30 minutes is noticeable and leads to wavering attention. The play only calls for 3 actors, which helps keep the action moving and the timing consistent. The inclusion of 3 additional actors into this production of Shakespeare (Abridged) slows things down and unfortunately leads to a few mistimed punchlines and gags. As a caveat, I did attend an opening weekend performance and some of the pacing issues may have been worked out with subsequent shows. Additionally, this play is at its best when seen for the first time, as the jokes are unexpected, and multiple viewings may make the pacing issues feel more pronounced.

The set is intentionally bare bones with nothing but a backdrop of book spines. This requires the actors to carry the burden of keeping the audience's attention. Notably, Chelsea Chapman and Christopher Applegate provide standout performances, both of whom shine through every scene. Applegate has a penchant for improvising and playing to the crowd, creating laughs even during slow moments. Meanwhile, Chapman has a knack for comedic timing, which not only showcases her skill but also highlights her fellow performers.The overall antics of the cast are mostly enjoyable, but some of the affectations used for different characters make it difficult to understand the dialogue.

Overall, High Springs Playhouse cannot be expected to compete with the production value at some of the theaters in Gainesville, but the set is fun and the lighting design is impressive in the context of the theater. Despite any flaws, the show maintains the Main Street feel of High Springs and simultaneously branches out to attract a broader theater-going audience.

The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) runs through June 29th at the High Springs Playhouse. Performances start at 7:30 PM on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 PM on Sundays. Tickets can be purchased at highspringsplayhouse.com and cost between $15 for students/seniors and $17 for general admission.