‘Complete Shakespeare’ Turns Bard on His Ear

“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged),” isn’t Cliffs Notes, but a hilarious, speed-of-light romp. While most productions of this script feature three men, this Xristos Productions version at the Stella Adler Theatre has two men plus a woman, who plays not only the female roles but also some of the male roles. The winning threesome provides plenty of zip to the zingers that Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Borgeson included in the script.

Billed as “fast-food Shakespeare for the New Millennium,” the piece is ably served up by the pale-faced Jennifer Marsala, the casually clad Ernie Sanchez and the bearded Seth Gorelik--who, by virtue of owning what passes for Elizabethan duds, gets the part of Romeo. Greig Borthwick adds musical commentary as the “sound guy.”

The program includes a list of Shakespeare’s plays and some specious facts about his life. The show begins with “Romeo and Juliet” and ends with several versions of “Hamlet”--after some hip-hop verses, a football game and a tag-team reader’s theater. Some minor tweaking to the original script includes references to recent news events, including the presidential elections. None of these seems a bit out of place with this first-rate clowning.

Director Stan Harrington plays it fast and loose. Marsala hysterically quivers with fear or excitement, playing well off Gorelik’s bombastic heroes and Sanchez’s more laid-back approach.

This won’t help you on your next Shakespeare quiz, because the humor mostly hinges on some knowledge of the plays. But it’s a zestful, loving tribute to the bard.

* “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged),” Stella Adler Theatre, 6773 Hollywood Blvd., second floor, Hollywood. Fridays, 8 p.m. Ends Feb. 9. $10. (323) 465-4446. Running time: 1 hour, 5 minutes.