| View Larger Image | The Reduced Shakespeare Company - The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) | DVDStarring: Adam Long, Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor, Daniel Singer
Directed By: Paul Kafno
Also With: Adam Long (Writer), Reed Martin (Writer), Daniel Singer (Writer), Paul Kafno (Producer), Steve Eveleigh (Editor), Jess Winfield (Writer), William Shakespeare (Writer)
| List Price: | $24.99 | | Price: | $21.99 | | You Save: | $3.00 (12%) | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | DVD | | Rating: |  | | Run Time: | 88 minutes | | Format: | Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC | | Studio: | Acorn Media | | Number of Discs: | 1 | | Aspect Ratio: | 1.33:1 | | Release Date: | May 01, 2003 | | Sales Rank: | 4,294th |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Description
Life is short. The complete works of Shakespeare are long. To the rescue: THE REDUCED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY, the three-man comedy troupe known for fast, funny, physical condensations of real serious stuff. They wrap up the Bard's outsized oeuvre in 90 roller-coaster, rib-tickling minutes. After warming up with a nothing-is-sacred send-up of Romeo and Juliet, they're off, dispensing with the comedies in one fell swoop (because the tragedies are funnier). You decide after you see Othello as a rap song, Titus Andronicus as a cooking program, and the show's unforgettable finale - Hamlet - told with the help of audience members and lascivious sock puppets. Contains material not seen on the PBS broadcast. "Intellectual vaudeville" - The New York Times. "Inspired American spoof merchants...slings and arrows of outrageous comedy" - Daily Telegraph. "This trio of modern Marx brothers will leave you in stitches" - Boston Herald. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE: Trade secrets: Two commentaries featuring the stars and the director; Humble beginnings: Rare footage of an early RSC performance; Who are these clowns?: Cast bios; Pop Quiz: Interactive trivia, Say Again?: English Subtitles. WARNING: High-speed hilarity. Not for people with weak hearts or English degrees! Starring Adam Long, Reed Martin & Austin Tichenor. |
Amazon.com
Ah, Shakespeare. The great bard. You've heard he's a terrific writer. One of these days, you may actually get around to catching one of his plays. Yeah, right. Well, with the help of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, not only can you catch all of Shakespeare's plays at once, but you can have a riotous good time doing so. Three men performing 37 plays in less than two hours may seem a bit of a stretch. But Adam Long, Reed Martin, and Austin Tichenor--all members of the Reduced Shakespeare Company--pull it off beautifully with The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), a slapstick show that summarizes the playwright's stage work (with the sonnets thrown in). Never read Titus Andronicus? No problem; it's presented here as a cooking show. Can't keep your Shakespearean histories straight? Visualize them as a football game. Wondering what exactly is the deal with that guy Othello? Hear his story as a rap song. Hard as it is to imagine, this video of the stage show (originally seen on PBS) is one of the funniest, most clever productions around. Long is hysterical in his roles of Juliet and Ophelia (among others), bringing a hip, edgy feel to the plays while remaining surprisingly true to the stories. Martin and Tichenor will amaze with their acrobatic movements and frequent costume changes, and the three together are a marvel of timing and rhythm. Best of all, whether you know Shakespeare inside out or have yet to read a word of him, The Complete Works will have you in stitches. --Jenny Brown |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 98 reviews)
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Another look at Shakespeare by Regency Lady (Massachusetts USA)  4 Stars
October 27, 2009
This is a great painless way to take another look at the Bard. For those of you that dreaded Shakespeare in school or loved it, this video manages to make it fun for everyone. There are moments when the actors truly give their all to the spirit to the Plays with terrific audience participation. I would have liked to have known that there is DVD of this performance available for purchase.
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HAHAHA by T "the tool man" (NC)  5 Stars
September 14, 2009
Simply hilarious...worth a good laugh and factual at the same time. Shakespeare would be pleased!
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Great film! Great Service! by David Roy (Southington, CT USA) 5 Stars
September 11, 2009
I saw this film in my Shakespeare class in high school and it prompted me to want to purchase it because of how funny it is. I didn't know where else I could find it except here and the price for it was great. Every time I watch it I just love all the little jokes and laughs these guys mix into the Shakespeare plays, along with the jokes/actions on the audience. A truly great film with a great cast and script. The delivery time was exceptional. Thank you again for having this available at such a great cost.
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Reduced Shakespeare Redux by Dorothy M. Hintz (Troy, MT) 5 Stars
May 04, 2009
I saw this production live at the Criterion Theater in London in April 2000, and the video makes the audience feel as if they are in the Criterion Theater. I teach introductory Shakespeare classes at a rural community college, and my hard-to-please students loved it! It would also be appropriate to use in high school classes. This should be part of any Shakespeare afficionado's collection!
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The Reduced Shakespear Company by Karoly Palasti 5 Stars
March 04, 2009
Hilarious. A must see for all, who love the English literature, esp. Shakespeare. It always makes me upbeat and happy whenever I watch it. And I do so quite frequently ;o) .The guys have a great sense of Humour!!!
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