MADISON, NJ – The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey starts off the season with a hilarious take on “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged).”
This remarkable compilation of comedies and dramas is deftly performed by three astute actors: Ty Lane, Patrick Toon and Kayla Ryan Walsh. Directed by Jeffrey M. Bender, who has also been a frequent performer on the Shakespeare Theatre stage, the whole production is fast and furious. Toon, now in his 15th season with the company, may be most familiar to the audience. He’s certainly a focal point during much of the madcap activity. Toon has been in such productions here as “Cymbeline, “Othello” and “Henry IV (Part 1).” He is the writer and host of A New York Minute, a history series on YouTube.
But Lane holds his own, dashing in and out, with plenty of experience on Shakespeare LIVE! productions as well as the Hudson Valley and Scranton Shakespeare festivals. Walsh was seen in NJ Shakespeare productions of “The Rose Tattoo,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” and “Sense and Sensibility.” She’s also a Fulbright Scholar recipient and studied at Shakespeare’s Globe.
While the first act meanders through a number of the Bard’s comedies and dramas, including sonnets, the second act is focused on “Hamlet,” a most daunting tragedy, until you see this production. And what is Ophelia up to anyway? The audience participates to various degrees, which adds to the fun.
There’s no doubt that the impetus for this play by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield is a loving look at a playwright who has been so venerated we forget that he was a real person in his day. It’s really a hilarious way to lampoon the Shakespeare folio, often considered beyond the realm of mere mortals.
Bender, as director, plumbed the depths of his experience as an actor in the 2009 production saying it was “one of the hardest and most exhausting shows I’ve ever done.” This time, he allows three very talented actors to find their own way through the absurdity of it all. He also credits those who make the show such a fast-paced, visually ingenious experience. This includes Daniel Ciba’s inventive costume designs, Sarah Beth Hall’s set design, Andrew Hungerford’s lighting, Steven Beckel’s sound design and Denise Cardarelli as production stage manager.