Do you remember cramming for a test? Trying to regurgitate everything you learned over a semester so that you could pass the final exam and get out of high school intact? Sure you do. That’s the situation a twelfth grade English class finds itself in, in In Tandem Theatre's production of All The Great Books (Abridged) this month. But there’s a twist.
In this case, three teachers - a student teacher, a gym teacher, and a drama teacher, played by Chris Goode, Doug Jarecki and Ryan Schabach, respectively, all combine forces to portray some of the greatest works of literature in rapid-fire and very funny form.
"The play is part of the Reduced Shakespeare Company's franchise of abridged versions of many different subjects. They've done The Complete works of Shakespeare (Abridged), the Bible (Abridged), American History (Abridged), All of Moviedom (Abridged)," explains director Chris Flieller. "This one is my personal favorites because it follows a narrative arc and has some remarkably comically staged bits to help you along with delving into the complex world of great literature."
"What's fun about this play is that the subject matter is dealt with with such a fondness and respect for the books," Jarecki adds. "There's no mean-spirited making fun of these books."
In Tandem Theatre’s production of All The Great Books (Abridged) opens Thursday October 5, 2017, and runs through October 29, 2017 at the Tenth Street Theater.
