Altoona Community Theatre’s 2005-2006 production season at the Historic Mishler Theatre continued
on November 17 to 20 with the offbeat parody “The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr
(abridged).”
“The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (abridged)” is a wacky send-up of The Bard of Avon, presenting in a style reminiscent of Mel Brooks, Monty Python or The Three Stooges that’s filled with shtick, wordplay, physical humor, sight gags and audience participation … “Titus Andronicus” is presented as a cooking show … “Othello” is turned into a rap song … “Hamlet” is given the speed-treatment and is presented in record-breaking time, then repeated backwards!
The comedy was first developed by its authors -- Jess Borgeson, Adam Long and Daniel Singer -- in 1987 in California, and then presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. Billing themselves as The Reduced Shakespeare Company, they took their zaniness around the world and performed in such venues as The White House, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center and London’s West End. Over the years, subsequent members of the Reduced Company have followed up with “The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged),” “The Complete History of America (abridged),” “All The Great Books (abridged),” which lampoons Dickens, Proust, Longfellow and other writers, and “Completely Hollywood.”
Kate Kale Wolf of Ebensburg directed the show for ACT, having previously directed “Crimes of the Heart” and numerous children’s theatre performances for ACT Summer Workshops. Onstage with ACT, Wolf has played M’Lynn in “Steel Magnolias,” Belinda in “Noises Off” and Cissy in “Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.” She also has received acting awards for her performances in two ACT entries for the Theatre Association of PA, “Strangers” and “Parallel Lives.” Kate is an elementary counselor at the Central Cambria School District and directs their high school musicals, including “The Music Man” last year and “Into the Woods” this year.
Three local actors – Stephen Guice and Jonathan O’Harrow of Altoona and Eric Wolf of Ebensburg -- will play the entire casts of all the classic lampooned in “The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (abridged).” Stephen first got involved with ACT last season as an ensemble member in “She Loves Me” and one of the sons, Geoffrey, in “The Lion in Winter.” Employed by Forever Broadcasting, he also was in the ensemble of “Annie” at Allegheny Highlands Regional Theatre, now Cresson Lake Playhouse where this summer he played Marcellus in “The Music Man” and Sy Benson in “My Favorite Year.”
Jonathan made his ACT debut in as Belomy in “The Fantasticks” in 2000 and most recently starred as bandit Jamie Lockhart in “The Robber Bridegroom” for ACT in September. In between, he has been featured in “The Miser,” “Alone Together,” “42nd Street,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Greater Tuna,” “The Lion in Winter” and “She Loves Me.” He also directed ACT’s award-winning production of “Smokey Joe’s Café” and serves on the theatre’s Board of Directors. The webmaster for Penn State Altoona, Jonathan also has directed, accompanied or acted in shows with Tyrone Community Players and Cresson Lake Playhouse, most recently CLP’s “My Favorite Year.”
Eric has been seen as Freddy in “Noises Off” and Uncle Louie in “Lost in Yonkers” with ACT and directed “Widows and Children First” and “Parallel Lives” for the group, as well as assistant directed “Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.” The General Manager of AMTRAN, he also counts Fagin in “Oliver” and Alfie Doolittle in “My Fair Lady” at Cresson Lake Playhouse among his favorite roles.
PHOTO GALLERY
Click on the photo to view a larger copy.
