Quote of the Day: Love me or hate me, both are in my favor…If you love me, I’ll always be in your heart…If you hate me, I’ll always be in your mind. William Shakespeare

Shane Keran, Bri Keran, and Nicholas Kory in The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) BCT at CLC. Photo by John Erickson

Do you love the Bard? Do you hate the Bard? Have you had good experiences listening to the language of his plays and sonnets, or have they left you scratching your head and looking out the window? No matter what your history is with Will Shakespeare and his plays, you will get a new experience watching three of Brainerd Community Theater’s finest actors run through his works in less than two hours. The show is really about three actors trying to create a performance. They use the most famous playwright of all time, his more than 1000 characters, and complex story lines to do it. They have great one-liners, much physical comedy, and some audience participation.

Shane Keran, Bri Keran, and Nicholas Kory in The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) BCT at CLC. Photo by John Erickson

The writers of this play, Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield originally did this play as an Improv act for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1987. They eventually wrote out the script so other actors could experience the high-energy joy of creating this comedic piece. The actors use the script and bring in local flavor, including using their own names as the actors who portray all the characters. They move in and out of scenes with a flourish!

The costumes, designed by Dawn Krautbauer, are colorful and versatile. They have just the right amount of props to portray the characters and scenes. Ben Kent designed the lighting and sound which add to the storytelling and humor, at times, in the play. George Marsolek designed the set, turning our Dryden black box theater, into a thrust stage. The actors can slip behind the curtain, change, grab a prop, or signal a new scene, and we’re constantly wondering what will happen next. I especially liked how they ended act one!

Bri Keran in The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) BCT at CLC. Photo by John Erickson

Under the direction of Laura Marsolek, the three actors: Bri Keran, Shane Keran, and Nicholas Kory lead us on the wild ride through all of Shakespeare’s works. Laura has extensive experience with Improv and physical comedy, giving this production a feeling of being unique for each performance. You never know who will show up, be called upon, or how they’ll respond during a performance. 

Laura Marsolek, director of The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) BCT at CLC. Photo by John Erickson

Whether you’re a fan of Shakespeare, or not, this show is sure to give you a few laughs. You can see The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) through July 24, 2019, BCT at Central Lakes College Performing Arts. Visit their website, or call for tickets and showtimes, 218-855-8199. Up next for BCT at CLC, Mamma Mia! August 27 – September 7, 2019.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt: What’s your favorite quote, play or sonnet, from Shakespeare?