ActorsÂ' Theatre of Columbus Presents THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED), 8/16-8/26

A parody of Shakespeare's plays in first on tap as Actors' Theatre of Columbus unveils The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) on Thursday, August 16 at the Columbus Commons. The production will be performed Thu/Fri/Sat/Sun for two weekends, August 16-19 and August 23-26. All performances start at 7:30 PM.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), an outrageous spoof of all Shakespeare's plays, written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield, performed in a much shortened 97-minute format by only three actors. Think Hamlet clocking in at under a minutes. Or, as Adam Simon, Director of the play puts it: "Think of it as your chance to brag that you have not only seen all of Shakespeare's plays-you laughed your way through them."

Actors' Theatre's Commons engagement closes the following month with the production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, which will also run Thu/Fri/Sat/Sun for two weekends, September 13-16 and September 20-23, with performances at starting at 7:30 PM. A Midsummer Night's Dream, one of Shakespeare's most popular plays uses life-sized puppets for some of the roles in the Actors' Theatre production. "It is very accessible when performed in this manner, and particularly for children. It is a great way for parents to introduce their children to classical theatre," says John S. Kuhn, who is Actors' Artistic Director and who is directing the play.

Meanwhile, down in Schiller Park, Actors' Theatre's home stage, audiences will still be able to enjoy The Servant of Two Masters, from August 2 to September 2. Written by Carlo Osvaldo Goldoni and directed by Pamela Hill, this Italian farce revolves around the misadventures of a hapless servant who is caught in the intertwining lives of two Italian families. It features all of the elements one expects from a first rate comedy of manners: mistaken identities, pining lovers, and plenty of hijinks.

Kuhn points out that, as always, the summer productions are free of charge. "We are pleased that we are able to continue to offer our summer productions at no charge. However, as always, we strongly encourage attendees to make donations to support our efforts. Donations remain an important income source for our continuing sustainability."

For additional information about the upcoming season, visit www.TheActorsTheatre.org or check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

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