Friday, October 19, 2001

Shakespeare gets the royal treatment in "The Compleat Wrks of Wilm Skspr (abridged)"

By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@TheCitizenNews.com

Two complaints that get thrown at the work of William Shakespeare consistently is that his material is long and boring. Not any more.

Newnan Community Theatre Company is presenting "The Compleat Wrks of Wilm Shakspr (abridged)" over the next three weekends and the show is neither long nor boring.

The play, written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, is a wacky look at all 37 plays of William Shakespeare and some of his sonnets. The show features Lamar Payne, Travis McElroy and Jeff Allen, all regulars in NCT productions.

Payne directed the company's production of "The Foreigner" and starred in "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" and "Deathtrap." McElroy is a captain in the U.S. Air Force, a stand-up comic and has appeared in "A Little Night Music." Allen has appeared in "The Foreigner," "Lloyd's Prayer," and "The Glass Menagerie."

The show travels quickly through Shakespeare's work using rap, a Julia Child-style cooking show and a football game to discuss some of Shakespeare's plays. The play will give the audience a very skewed and comical version of the plots of Shakespeare's plays.

"My favorite Shakespeare play is 'Hamlet,' which is discussed in the show" said McElroy. "I am a little disappointed that there is no mention of a fox or a box, or even the line, 'I do not like Green Eggs and Hamlet, I do not like them, Sam-I-Amlet."

"The Compleat Wrks of Wilm Shkspr (abridged)" has also given the actors a better understanding of the man.

"The Shake-meister seems like the kinda guy you could sit down with and just discuss last weekend's fencing tournament over a six-pack of mead," said Allen. "You know, he's not half as boring as I thought he was when I was in high school."

Performances will be Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m., through Nov. 4. Admission is $10 general admission and $8 for senior citizens. Phone 770-683-NCTC for reservations or visit http://newnantheatre.com. Newnan Community Theatre Company is located at 24 First Avenue in Newnan.

 


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