In William Shakespeare’s lifetime, from his first play, King Henry VI, published in 1591, to his last, The Two Noble Kinsmen, in 1613, Shakespeare wrote around 38 plays in total. These works varied in genre, from tragedy and comedy; location, from Venice to Windsor; and length, from short, such as The Comedy of Errors, to lengthy, such as Hamlet. Some of Shakespeare’s plays have become staples of the high school classroom, while others have faded into the background, seldom appearing on literature syllabi save for in college or graduate classes.
In fact, according to a 2013 study done by Whittier College, merely five of Shakespeare’s many plays comprise 90% of all instruction of his plays in U.S. high schools: Macbeth, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, and Othello. While the average high school student in the United States is likely to know about characters such as Juliet, Ophelia, or Desdemona, they’re far less likely to even hear about others such as Coriolanus, Antipholus, or Timon. In Fort Hamilton’s Drama Department production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged (Revised) (Again), in just ninety minutes time, all of these characters are either directly portrayed or off-handedly referenced, no matter how popular the plays in question are.
Mr. Randazzo, director of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, noted that one of the main aims was to introduce lesser-known Shakespeare works in a comedic way that students would enjoy. This idea was reflected throughout the play, with one of the earliest scenes depicting Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare’s most violent play, as a cooking show parody.
“The idea of the play is to turn the classic, often intimidating idea of Shakespeare’s works on its head, making it more entertaining,” Head of Lighting Miya Zhu said. “I hope that students can see Shakespeare’s plays in a new and less serious light.”
The first act depicted a comedic run-through of 37 of Shakespeare’s plays, with some, such as Othello, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet getting explicitly depicted, and others, such as Twelfth Night, Cymbeline, Merchant of Venice, and The Tempest, being comically referenced in rapid summaries of Shakespeare’s tropes.
The second act, however, was entirely dedicated to acting out Hamlet, replete with even more jokes. Kyle Sharadovsky, one of the ensemble actors who portrayed Hamlet as well as Tybalt and Titus Andronicus, also added that this rapid nature of the play added to the enjoyment.
“With all the props we needed, being in full costume and having a live audience, the atmosphere and the experience was absolutely amazing,” Sharadovsky said. “The adrenaline pumping through my veins during each show was an incredible feeling.”
The play ended with all actors attempting to run through the entirety of Hamlet in less than 53 seconds and succeeding in doing so.
“Whether you’re familiar with Shakespeare’s works or not, the humor is something anyone can appreciate,” Zhu said. “I think it was the perfect choice to start the school year with because it’s so lighthearted and universally enjoyable.”The Drama Department has begun working on and will soon be beginning rehearsals for their Spring Musical, Little Shop of Horrors, which will be Mr. Randazzo’s second production at Fort Hamilton.
