Review: 'The Complete History of America (abridged)'

By Mark Collins Camera, Theater Critic
August 28, 2008

3 stars

LAFAYETTE -- In Theater Company of Lafayette's production of "The Complete History of America (abridged)," the jokes aren't cultivated, incubated, slowly developed or nurtured along. Instead, the gags, puns and punch lines spin from the stage faster than you can recite the Pledge of Allegiance. A lot faster.

"Complete History" was penned by the trio of actor/writers who call themselves The Reduced Shakespeare Company -- the same troupe that wrote "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)" and five other condensed comedies. "History of America" is the second in the series.

Tom Housand directs the TCL version, and its three performers, Maureen Hines, Chelsea Rossetto and Ashley VanScoyoc, account for themselves well. In relentless and physical over-the-top fashion, they breathlessly sprint through roughly 600 years of American history, play dozens of characters and manage to get much of the audience wet on more than one occasion.

It starts out at the first European Invasion. We're treated to an argument between Italian explorer/cartographer Amerigo Vespucci and his wife about the New World. It's eventually done to the tune of the "Gilligan's Island" theme song.

The breakneck show mixes together a story of George Washington's Minutemen with references to the JFK assassination and O.J. Simpson. Betsy Ross explains her reason for designing the U.S. flag with stars and stripes along with her sister -- Diana, of the Supremes (rim shot).

Thomas Jefferson can't help but break into a Bee Gees song. A Vietnam-era anti-war bit is delivered like a Dr. Seuss rhyme read while on an acid trip.

When a scene taking place in the early 19th century begins to lean heavily on hackneyed one-liners, VanScoyoc -- in a scripted move -- stops, spreads his arms in mock disgust at the audience and pleads, "C'mon, people, these are the best jokes of 1805!"

"The Complete History of America (abridged)" is plenty interactive, too. Audience members in the intimate Mary Miller Theater become targets for faux outrage from the characters, history-lesson quizzes and large squirt guns.

Be warned, it produces as many groans as guffaws. But it's such a smorgasbord of jokes, jabs and jibes, there's something in it for just about anyone.

Contact Camera Theater Critic Mark Collins at 303-473-1369 or BDCTheater@comcast.net.