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‘Cry havoc’ with Shakespeare at Mid-Ohio Valley Players

By Staff Reports 3 min read

MARIETTA -- All things Shakespeare hit the stage Friday at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players where the comedy "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Revised) (Again)" starts a five-show run.

Eight actors will perform all of the Bard of Avon's plays in under two hours at the Players Theater at 229 Putnam St.

"The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Revised) (Again)" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Jan. 26 and 27 and 3 p.m. Jan. 28. Tickets are $13 and are available at midohiovalleyplayers.com or at the box office 90 minutes before each show.

The play was originally performed by the Reduced Shakespeare Company in 1987 and became a hit. It is fast paced, funny and physical and will entertain Shakespeare lovers and haters alike, according to Director Kevin Paskawych.

Paskawych directed a version of the show in 2011, but wanted to revisit the play and its newest revised edition.

"I really like the Reduced Shakespeare Company, so I thought 'let's try it,' not realizing how new it was," he said. "We are the third production of this show in the U.S."

Paskawych, noting the differences between the new and old versions, said the latest show is updated for more modern audience sensibilities. Some of the jokes and wording have changed to make the play more relevant, he said.

But no two shows, even with the same script, are the same, Paskawych said.

"This group has melded well together. We have a mix of people who have experience with the MOVP and some newcomers," Paskawych said. "It's fun watching them come up with ideas on the spot. It's been a blast watching them do it."

Among the newcomers in the cast is Malachi Frymire, who plays several roles including MacBeth, Othello and a version of himself. Actors trying to do all of Shakespeare's plays in a limited amount of time leads to "much chaos," Frymire said.

"This is my first play in the community theater," he said. "It has been really fun and I plan to do more theater."

No stranger to the Players stage is actress Ash Michael. Romeo is one of her favorite parts in this play.

"I play Romeo opposite our Juliet who is played by the lovely Karen Paskawych. It's a very funny back and forth, very laughable, very comical, and it's definitely one of my favorite scenes in the play," Michael said. "I absolutely love the cast and I think everyone will enjoy the show very much."

Michael said the show is among the funniest in which she has participated.

Stage manager Alley Moore is excited to be involved.

"You have never seen Shakespeare performed like this," Moore said.

This show is presented with permission from Broadway Play Publishing and is sponsored by Paskawych Entertainment.

The cast, playing themselves and various characters each, are Annie Labes, Ash Michael, Beth Lane, Dyrk Conrad Michael, Karen Paskawych, Kasadi Dye, Malachi Frymire and Nick Sandy.

The show is directed by Kevin Paskawych and Karen Paskawych. The assistant director is Chase Mayer and the stage manager is Alley Moore.

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