The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] {Again}: A Classic Play with a Classic YCDS Spin

“Don’t bite off more than you can chew” may be an apt maxim, however, if you exude enough charisma — and speak quick enough — you may just deliver a spectacular and memorable performance. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] {Again} (yes, that is the full title) blends a mix of slapstick comedy, Jewish humor and idiosyncratic dialogue that only a Yeshiva College Dramatics Society (YCDS) cast could pull off.

Directed by Professor Reuven Russell, the director of Jewish cult classics such as “Agent Emes” and “Soon By You,” the play stays true to the perennial all-too-small cast with each actor playing multiple roles — sometimes at the same time. The show’s three actors, Kiki Arochas (YC ‘25), Shneur Levy (YC ‘25) and Ronnie Hidary (YC ‘27), deliver a stellar performance, often changing costumes and accents on a whim while maintaining their individual personas.

Arochas, playing a not-so-esteemed Shakespearean scholar, presents his beloved light-hearted performance with accents that are sure to make you laugh along with passion only matched by his previous YCDS performances in The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. Meanwhile, Levy, the lead of the play, reenacts the chemistry he and Arochas delivered in The Hound of the Baskervilles, once again acting as Arochas’s inquisitive accomplice. With the largest variety when it comes to outfits and voices, Levy maintains his quirky act; you are sure to catch some of the excitement that he emits and smile at his uncanny giggle. Delivering his YCDS debut, Hidary provides the high energy and plays most of the female roles — just as would have been done in Shakespearean times. Lastly, head of lighting, Manny Ledewitz (YC ‘27) also makes several appearances as he sows chaos among the cast.

The crew were able to break down some of the most studied and discussed Shakespearean works while making jokes aimed at Jewish college students. 

The play starts off with Arochas dressed in a suit clearly speaking in a faulty British accent. He explains how he is an extremely knowledgeable Shakespearean scholar and that while there are vast numbers of Shakespearean works, this production will cover just the most popular: Romeo and Juliet, Othello and Macbeth to name a few. One thing I found very significant in this short opening was the acknowledgement that most people in the audience probably haven’t read Shakespeare and that that is okay.

Following this the play formally starts. A short revision of each classic play commences followed by an equal amount of commentary and discourse over what had just taken place. Important to note that when the actors are performing one of Shakespeare’s many plays, they act as the characters within that play. However — when in between the Shakespearean reenactments — they play themselves while using their actual names. The cast as usual insult the concept of a fourth wall by inserting discourse with the audience throughout the transitions. These scenes provide a large portion of the comedic enjoyment and implement interactions with the audience that are rare to see in plays, especially anything Shakespeare-related. The references to pop culture were also done quite well. While I won’t spoil the jokes that were made, you can expect to find nods to some of your favorite movies, shows and Yeshiva University itself.

An aspect that I enjoyed from the show was that there was no main character; all three actors got equal stage time. Their greatest strength is excellent chemistry. When watching, you can really tell that all of the actors have put their blood, sweat and tears into the production.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare is a play riddled with comedy, tragedy and history. The show offers unique takes on classical works while adding their own fun spins during the transitional scenes. As someone who usually doesn’t enjoy plays, I enjoyed the show and would recommend it to someone who enjoys comedy and wants to get into the medium of theater. If you saw the name Shakespeare and expected a sad, depressing romance you’re in luck — as this is not it. Overall the crew deliver a gripping performance, mixing classical literature with comedy, adapting the bard to be more palatable for a broader audience. It is most certainly worth the watch.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] {Again} will play daily from Sunday through Wednesday. Tickets can be purchased on CampusGroups.

Photo Caption: From top to bottom: Ronnie Hidary (YC ‘27), Kiki Arochas (YC ‘25) and Shneur Levy (YC ‘25)

Photo Credit: Shneur Levy