THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED)
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED)
Reviewed by Jeffrey R Smith of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle
Each year, like the rest of us, Shakespeare ratchets his age up one increment. For the living and those of us who still get out to Peets, Starbucks, Noahs or The Green Door, our language remains—for better or for worse—current, contemporary and unsophisticated. Every idiom that is force fed us by the mass media quickly burrows its way into our Broca's Region and takes root in our vernacular: even things like: "We don't need no stinkin' badges," Get the butter," "Charlie don't Surf" and "Plastics." And, just as in the case of Bible Thumping Louisiana Senators, old rhetoric is irreverently supplanted by fresh cliché: few of us still use such musty idioms and superannuated solecisms as "Twenty-three skidoo," "Cookie, Cookie lend me your comb," or "Gort, klaatu barada nikto."
Elizabethan English, like a son or daughter who has graduated from five or more years of undergraduate college, becomes more remote with each passing nanosecond. The language of Shakespeare, in the parlance of linguists, has ossified. Avon pundits worry that someday the works of Shakespeare will, like the King James Bible, be republished in an updated form under such rubrics as: The New English Shakespeare, The New International Version of Shakespeare or Gideon's Shakespeare.
Hopefully the Earth's orbit will decay and we will splash into the Sun's ocean of molten hydrogen long before anyone messes with Shakespeare. But, can we count on the saving grace of Armageddon? Just as root canals, Botox and hair transplants are all inevitable, so too is the day when irreverent Philistines will tamper with the language of Shakespeare. Until then, if we want warped and twisted Shakespeare, we will just have to attend THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) as currently presented by Marin Shakespeare.
Having thoroughly enjoyed the show for nearly ten years, let it suffice to say that THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) never gets old. Each year, indeed each performance, is a new permutation or mutation with new ingredients, new spices, fresh corn and new monkey wrenches tossed into the loosely adhered to script. The play is virtually an improvisation: a work in progress: a kaleidoscope of changing gags. Marin County's most resourceful director: Robert Currier, remains faithful to the spirit of the script, yet remains unencumbered by the letter of the script.
THE COMPLETE WORKS was originally crafted in Marin County by Jess Borgeson, Adam Long and Daniel Singer. It was first produced it at Black Point in Novato: not far from the boat launch. It was first published in 1994. Since then, like Borders Books and Abercrombie & Fitch, THE COMPLETE WORKS has spread across the face of the planet: it has even been translated into Spanish and performed in Barcelona.
Fortunately Marin Shakespeare has cast Darren Bridgett in the role of Darren Bridgett (all of the cast members play themselves). Darren is a stalwart of the show: it could be his seven season, but who is counting. Darren works the audience like a game show host, a television evangelist, a lap dancer, a pick-pocket. If this show had a star and a definitive character, it would be Darren. While Buddhists argue that "you can never put your foot into the same river twice," Darren never performs the same show twice. Darren ensures that every performance is high energy interactive theater.
The show is a seamless and shameless blend of bawdy spontaneity, low brow wit, high brow humor, casual vulgarity and audience involvement. While some knowledge of the Bard's work is useful, no one need be a Shakespearean expert to enjoy the show: leave the scholarly stuff to Bob Currier: don't bring a volume of Shakespeare: bring a picnic basket. For a delightful evening of laughter under the moon and stars, get thee to Forest Meadows Amphitheater; Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from now until August 12 th. If you don't mind sharing your baguette, brie, wine or date with Darren, sit in the front row: we dare you. For tickets to a rollicking evening, visit www.marinshakespeare.org or call the box office at 415-499-4488.
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