Shakespeare spoof kicks off season for Roxy’s Downtown

“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” brings back fond and funny memories for Tom Frye.

At the turn of the most recent century, Frye was newly appointed to run the theater program at the Wichita Center for the Arts. He found the script for “Reduced Shakespeare” – a comedy where all 37 of the Bard’s plays are performed in 90-plus minutes – and recruited friends J.R. Hurst, Dennis Arnold, Steve Frazier and Scott Noah to join him in the cast.

In need of a gimmick – “The theater was struggling, and I wanted to have the first show be a big hit,” he recalled — Frye recruited longtime Wichita State theater director Dick Welsbacher to make a cameo appearance in the show, giving Polonius’ death speech in its version of “Hamlet,” with no indication in the program he would appear, nor letting Welsbacher tell anyone he would be in the show.

“Of course, the audience went nuts,” Frye said. “It was a huge success.”

Frye hopes the same kind of magic strikes again with the newest version of the comedy, which opens next week at Roxy’s Downtown.

Like theaters worldwide, Roxy’s has suffered financially because of the pandemic. Frye advised artistic director Rick Bumgardner on smaller-scale comedy suggestions for the 2021 season, which kicks off Jan. 14 with “Reduced Shakespeare.”

“It’s hilarious, it’s fun,” Frye said. “It’s very clever, very funny. The audiences love it.”

Rather than the five in his earlier version, Frye is sticking to the three-person cast called for in the script. Playing the roles are Ryan Schafer, Austin Ragusin and Lucas Lowry.

Schafer is a veteran of several Wichita theater company performances, and Ragusin and Lowry have performed together.

The freewheeling performances, where the actors appear to be making up lines as they go along, are actually well-scripted, Frye said.

“They improv a little bit, but they still stay on task of where they need to get,” he said.

The script calls for them to recruit a volunteer from the audience, which can still be done — although they all keep six feet away from the person, he added.

Although its subject matter is the kind of stuff that gave high school students fits, Frye said the humor of the show goes across the board.

“You’re doing Shakespeare and different types of humor. You’ve got slapstick, you’ve got a little bit of what Shakespeare is like,” he said. “There’s all kinds of different levels.”

The script’s authors, who have gone on to 10 other shows with various themes, encourage companies to be creative and insert their own brand of humor in the production, Frye said.

“I’m the king of adding crap,” Frye said with a laugh. “Just a lot of silly stuff and music. It’s a romp.”

With the latest crowd restrictions, Roxy’s can seat about half of its usual capacity.

The rest of Roxy’s schedule for the first half of 2021, subject to change, is scheduled to be “The 39 Steps,” a comedy based on an Alfred Hitchcock thriller; “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks,” a two-person comedy drama; “Same Time, Next Year,” a two-person romantic comedy; and “On Golden Pond,” the basis for the Oscar-winning movie.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

When: Jan. 14-31; 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays

Where: Roxy’s Downtown, 412 ½ E. Douglas

Tickets: $30 for show only, $45 for dinner and show, from 316-265-4400 or roxysdowntown.com