The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged)

Back when I was a kid (for you GenX-ers, that's "when dinosaurs ruled the earth and there were no cell phones") there was a popular TV show called Fractured Flickers, created by the same guys who gave us Rocky and Bullwinkle and George of the Jungle. Hosted by the late Hans Conreid, Fractured Flickers took classic silent films, cut them down to around 20 minutes, and gave them new story lines and silly voice-over dialog by the likes of June Foray and Paul Frees.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis production of The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged) - which will be causing audience members to collapse from excessive laughter through April 12th - reminds me a bit of that old show. Oh, sure, we've got three gifted actors instead of Hans Conreid and instead of old movies we've got - well - the complete works of Shakespeare. And it's live in the intimate studio theatre instead of on film on an old black-and-white TV, but the combination of outrageous mockery of and affection for the material is the same.

The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged) is one of several knockabout literary and theatrical parodies written and originally performed by the San Francisco-based Reduced Shakespeare Company - three maniacally funny actors who have been described as "whoopee cushions with legs". Taking on those roles can't be easy, but in the Rep's production David Matthew Douglas, Ryan Osmond, and Jamison Stern certainly make it look that way. Within what feels like a very brief two hours, they perform, deconstruct, lampoon, and otherwise demolish nearly all of The Bard's 37 plays, give or take some apocrypha. And in one totally unexpected moment, Osmand gives us a completely straight and totally convincing reading of the "What a piece of work is man" speech from Hamlet. Once again, I was reminded of how much comedy depends on keeping the audience a bit off-balance.

In their hands, Othello becomes a rap number. Titus Andronicus is a hilariously tasteless cooking show. The history plays are all rolled up into a slow-motion football game. And the entire second act is taken up with Hamlet as it might have been performed by the Marx Brothers and/or the Three Stooges. There's also plenty of audience participation, so if you're the shy type I'd advise not sitting in the front row.

If all this leaves you with the impression that The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged) is a high-energy evening of irresistible comedy, then my job here is done. All I need to do before riding off into the sunset is remind you that it's playing in the studio theatre at 130 Edgar Rd. through April 12th, and that tickets are going fast at 968-4925. Whether you're a long-time fan of Shakespeare or only know of him at a guy that wrote dialog for Leonardo Di Caprio, you're going to love this show. Don't miss it.