The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) is a raucous, fast-paced, and irreverent comedy that appeals to fans of The Bard and to those who struggle with the language. The partly improvised production brings the audience in — sometimes literally — and makes them feel as if they are part of the shenanigans.

The conceit of the show is that three actors attempt to elucidate the audience on Shakespeare’s life and career, then perform a condensed version of all 37 of his plays, each actor portraying multiple characters. The three-person cast and their director Gregory Stieber all have vast experience performing Shakespeare, so they know how to beautifully convey the language when the script calls for it. But they also have a riotous time poking fun at the plots and tropes of Shakespeare’s repertoire.

The script has been somewhat revised for a more culturally aware audience. Flippant references to the impropriety of a Caucasian actor portraying Othello are handled more sensitively in this version, although the Othello rap number is still included. Other references have been updated from the original 1987 script to be more topical.

Shakespeare’s plays themselves are presented in a variety of clever and hilarious ways. Highlights include a gruesome cooking program, a variety of sword fights, cross dressing (because, Shakespeare), celebrity impressions, and a puppet show.

Rather than staging the play on the large stage of the Arts United Center, where most of the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre shows are performed, this production is at the smaller Parkview Physicians Group ArtsLab across Main Street. The audience is seated on all four sides of the square stage, thus completely eliminating the fourth wall and allowing the actors to interact with them directly. Several audience members are even invited up onstage.

The cast of Bob Ahlersmeyer, Hayley Johnson, and Nol Beckley are equally comfortable with off-the-cuff audience banter as with the scripted material, and as with any partially improvised show, you can go multiple times and see a slightly different show each time. On opening night, Ahlersmeyer referenced that particular evening’s lineup of basketball games and the current score after intermission.

The three performers have excellent onstage chemistry and their comedic timing is impeccable. From broad physical comedy to subtle facial expressions and quiet asides, they have the audience laughing from start to finish.