ATHENS, Ga. —UGA Presents is bringing the Reduced Shakespeare Company to the Fine Arts Theatre to perform The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised]. The irreverent show covers all of Shakespeare’s comedies, histories and tragedies in one hilarious 97-minute performance. The madcap men in tights will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 5.
Since its pass-the-hat origins in 1981, the Reduced Shakespeare Company (RSC) has created ten stage shows, two television specials, several failed TV pilots, and numerous radio pieces, all of which have been performed, seen and heard the world over. The company’s itinerary has included appearances off Broadway, at the White House, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, London’s West End, and Montreal’s famed Just For Laughs Festival, as well as performances in Israel, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore.
RSC’s first three shows— The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), The Complete History of America (abridged) and The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) — ran for nine years at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus as London’s longest-running comedies. The Complete Works… set a Guinness World Record as “Longest Running Shakespeare Show in the West End.” For years the RSC had more shows running in the West End than Andrew Lloyd Webber. They were also funnier.
The RSC won the prestigious Shorty Award in New York City and the Delft Audience Award in Holland. They’ve also been nominated for an Olivier Award in London, two Helen Hayes Awards in Washington, DC, the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award and several podcast awards.
Tickets for the show start at $40 and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center box office, online at pac.uga.edu or by calling 706-542-4400. A limited number of discounted tickets are available to current UGA students for $6 to $10 with a valid UGA ID (limit one ticket per student).
The Fine Arts Theatre is located at 255 Baldwin Street in Athens.