Shakespeare’s 37 plays … performed by just three actors … all in 97 minutes.

That’s the premise behind “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again],” the internationally popular comedy coming to St. Bonaventure University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on Friday and Saturday, April 17–18.

Both shows are at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for senior citizens and SBU staff and faculty, and $5 for students.

Performed by The Kenan Center, the show promises an irreverent, high-energy romp through the Bard’s entire portfolio. With quick costume changes, physical comedy and clever improvisation, the play compresses all 37 of Shakespeare’s works into a whirlwind performance — including the troupe’s self-proclaimed record for the shortest production of “Hamlet,” clocking in at just 43 seconds.

Fast-paced, witty and unapologetically silly, the production offers laughter for both Shakespeare lovers and skeptics alike. 

Written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, with new revisions by Singer and Winfield, the play originated with the Reduced Shakespeare Company and has become a worldwide phenomenon since its debut. The show is produced by special arrangement with Broadway Play Publishing Inc. of New York City.

In addition to the performances, visiting artists from the Kenan Center will offer a series of masterclasses and community engagement programs on Saturday, April 18, giving students and community members a chance to explore theater and performance techniques.

The masterclasses will take place at the Quick Center and include: 

• Kenan Center High School Students Masterclass, 11 a.m.
• Kenan Center Visual & Performing Arts Students Masterclass, noon
• Kenan Center St. Bonaventure Community Masterclass, 1:30 p.m.
• Kenan Center External Community Masterclass, 2:30 p.m.
  

Based in Lockport, New York, since 1967, the Kenan Center is a multidisciplinary arts organization that offers theater productions, arts education programs and community cultural experiences throughout Western New York.

Galleries in the Quick Center will be open one hour before the performances and during intermission.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #8 for value and #19 overall by U.S. News and World Report (2025).