‘Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr’ needs a reality base

Good Medicine Theatre Company's current "The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (abridged)" is the sort of production that you don't want to dislike. It seems earnestly and thoughtfully put together. But it's one big yawn.

We've had about half a dozen mountings of this vaudeville skit in the past decade. The script's gimmick is that three performers bulldoze their way through the Bard's plays with slapstick, intentionally bad puns and broad line readings. It's a slight entertainment that the right cast and attitude can make into an enjoyable evening.

Actresses Alexandria Bevilacqua, Tricia McNatt and Jaime Puckett are, without exception, well-trained and charismatic. You like being in their company. But they've been directed by Susanna Brent to be one-note goofy. The show, in its own weird way, needs a reality base -- at least maybe a hint of pseudo-seriousness for us to get in on the joke. The authors (Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield) are making fun of the reverence we shower on Shakespeare, but here, the actors strain so hard to be funny that the spirit of the play, the lightness, is lost. You come away feeling as if you've just pampered three precocious children who are too aware of how adorable they are.

The technical work (supervised by Lester Brent) is simple but appealing, and the director has used the stage well. She knows how to make maximum use of space. There's a proficiency to the way the action is kept moving that leaves you with respect for the director and cast.

But they seem too sane for this material. They fake lunacy instead of genuinely keying into it.