BY JUDI STRAUGHAN
As Derek Moran, one of the brave zanies in the Sudbury Theatre
Centre's opening show says, "Doing this play is like throwing
yourself out of an airplane."
The Compleat Works of Wllm Shakspr (abridged), an irreverent,
hilarious comedy is simply "going to keep people laughing for
97 minutes," adds Ari Weinberg, a new-comer to the STC stage.
Moran has been here twice before, once as Romeo two years ago.
"Comedy is serious business," says Jameson Kraemer who has made
STC audiences laugh in two previous STC productions.
"To be funny, you have to be clear and concise.  We can't
let the audience miss anything."
Moran, Kraemer and Weinberg have been thinking, talking and
acting comedy almost every waking minute since they arrived in
Sudbury to tackle the Bard and bring him to his knees - so to
speak. 
The playwrights, Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield
have managed to, if not fully explore, at least refer to all 37
of Shakespeare's plays in this whirlwind tour of a lowbrow take
on a highbrow subject. 
All of Shakespeare's history plays are done as a football game.
"The histories are so incredibly funny in this play, I can see
people wanting to go out and find out more about them," says
Moran.
"The play glazes over the comedies because they are a bit
formulaic and everybody sort of knows them," adds Weinberg.
The script focuses on about five plays in a little more detail.
Moran seems most enthused by the Titus Andronicus section.
"It's kind of a 'Shakespeare- slasher-action-horror meets the
Sopranos' take on the play.  It's one of my favourite
bits."
And then there's Hamlet. 
"I love that section since I get to dress up like Ophelia,
funny in itself, but we do so many cool things with the play,"
Weinberg says.
They all agree that the take on Hamlet will be an audience
favourite.  It's also the part of the play when the
audience is asked to pitch in a bit and help out, in a very
funny sort of way.
Kraemer loves their Othello spoof.  "The parody morfs
itself into a hilarious rap that the audience will really get
into."
The actors agree, they have to be fearless in rehearsal, to
explore any and every possibility, to be fully committed to
even the most bizarre character.
Weinberg adds, "We take the fear of Shakespeare and turn it on
its ear. And people should know that we talk everyday English
as much as we recite Shakespeare lines in this play."
Best of all, the audience doesn't need to know anything at all
about Shakespeare.  All they have to do is come ready to
laugh.
Playing Sept. 27 to October 13. Check your cod pieces at the
door.
Judi Straughan is the education co-ordinator of the Sudbury Theatre Centre.
