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Jared Tompkins
David Hartmann and Linda Dzuris
PA 1010/1030
11 November 2016
The Complete History of America (Abridged): Election Edition
On November 1, 2016, the Reduced Shakespeare Company brought a special
version of their play The Complete History of America (Abridged) to the Brooks Theater
as part of a tour. The company was created in California in 1981. The RSCs first three
shows, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), The Complete History
of America (Abridged), and The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged), were a
huge success and ran for nine years at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus. Since
their creation, they have written ten stage shows, two television specials, numerous
radio pieces, and more.
My general reaction to the overall performance of the Complete History of
America was one of amusement and merriment. From the altered singing of the Star
Spangled Banner at the beginning to the reverse timeline of America at the end, I could
not stop laughing. As a fan of random comedy, I considered the play to be the greatest
performance I had ever witnessed in my life so far. I thoroughly enjoyed the
masterpiece that the Reduced Shakespeare Company presented at the Brooks Theater,
and I appreciated the fact that they added a segment about the election.
The performers handled the parts of the performance very well. Each performer
contributed to the humor of the performance, and each had an individual aspect of the

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humor while maintaining a cohesiveness in the entire production. One could tell that the
Company puts a wealth of practice and determination into their performances.
The theme I gleaned from this production is that America is an amazing nation
with a unique and interesting history. The Complete History of America (Abridged)
showed this fact through a production of humor, song, dance, and theatrics. It was also
worthy to note the fact that they were willing to answer any questions that the audience
had in regards to the history of America. This showed that they really care about this
country and have studied its history carefully while writing the script for the play, so
carefully in fact that they have an excellent knowledge of its history.
The mise en scene consisted of having a static prop of an American flag with a
few different pictures relating to America to show that the entirety of the production and
what goes on in the production relates to the country. The three actors would switch out
different props such as signs, costumes, objects, projectiles, and an easel based on the
subject they were talking about in order to provide a unique and humorous visual
experience.
There are two other things that affected my opinion on the play. The first is how
the actors acted when people came in late to the show. They playfully humiliated them
and even mentioned some stuff about them in other points in the show, which all had an
absolutely humorous result. The second is how they were willing to sign brochures (they
signed mine, which made me very happy) and talk to their audience, which I found to hit
the entire experience home for me.

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Overall, this production was incredible. The Reduced Shakespeare Company is
composed of very talented actors who perform many humorous pieces, and their
performance at the Brooks Theater will remain in my memory for years to come.

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Bibliography
The brochure for the play.