Ed Corsi, Jonathon Fink, and Kevin Hurley star in The Eagle Theatre’s COMPLETELY HOLLYWOOD (ABRIDGED). (Photo credit: Anthony Jacobson)
COMPLETELY HOLLYWOOD (ABRIDGED) at The Eagle Theatre: Wow! Bravo! No ovation—sorry the audience is rolling in the aisle. Yes, it’s that funny.
Sorry that I had to miss the opening night on this one. The professional cast and crew of The Eagle Theatre in Hammonton worked their usual magic on a show that is so well put together by the writers, Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, it would be hilarious without being theatrical. Add stupendous lighting and sound as always, and a set to a show that usually doesn’t have one, a great comic director, Ted Wioncek, III, three terrific comic actors, Ed Corsi (also Co-Artistic Director with Wioncek), Jonathan Fink, and Kevin Hurley—and you can’t miss.
Don’t miss this one…unless you have to take your wife to the hospital to have a baby…well, just kidding. COMPLETELY HOLLYWOOD (ABRIDGED) is a blast even if you say you aren’t a movie watcher or know that many films. You don’t have to have that knowledge to enjoy the bountiful joy that seems to follow. “Three men perform 200 Hollywood blockbusters and bombs in under 99 minutes” as it promises in the brochure and the company delivers. They lay a few unbelievably funny bombs while they argue amongst themselves about who has best screenplay, parody the institution we love to make fun of and “mock its dubious wisdom.” They will “rip apart and pay homage” to all your favorites and not-so-favorites. All in perspective. Beware of intense laughter. Belly laughs and foot stompers allowed always.
A special treat, The Eagle Theatre will be doing its own version of THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) in March. I look forward to it.
I brought my 14-year-old son, Aidan, and he’s not a big movie watcher, certainly not the classics. He said, “Can I come back?” He meant Saturday night or Sunday. He definitely wants to see the Shakespeare piece now. He knows enough and he’ll learn more under the guise of comedy and theatre.
The Reduced Shakespeare Company (RSC), a professional company is comprised of the original writers and actors touring here in the U.S. and Great Britain presenting the series of shows like this one, including THE BIBLE (The Complete Word of God) and THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (Abridged) as well as several others, including the ones you’ll see here at The Eagle.
The reason I mention the RSC is that my wife and I had seen nearly all of their plays on tour when we lived in Virginia and have loved them all. So, I have an idea how the guys that wrote them presented them, too. That is not to say The Eagle Theatre production pales. Far from it. The creative team led by Wioncek added the right amount of nuance, improvisation, creativity, lighting and sound, as well as a set—something the others didn’t do much with. What is a three-person show becomes theatre madness in so many more ways.
Only one more weekend after this one to laugh your head off. Please make plans to drive to Hammonton early, enjoy some terrific Mexican food nearby (we did) and be part of a riot of fun at The Eagle Theatre. I think I have run out of superlatives…
COMPLETELY HOLLYWOOD (ABRIDGED)
Written by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor
Additional Material by Dominic Conti
Directed by Ted Wioncek, III
September 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 2012 at 8:00 pm
September 9, 16 at 3:00 pm
With Ed Corsi, Jonathan Fink, and Kevin Hurley
The Eagle Theatre
208 Vine Street
Hammonton, NJ 08037
(609) 704-5012
http://www.TheEagleTheatre.com
