View source for William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged)


[[Folger Theatre|Folger Theatre]] produced the Reduced Shakespeare's Company's performance of ''William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged)'' from April 21 to May 8, 2016. 

[[File:RSC 003.jpg|700x700px|Reed Martin, Teddy Spencer, and Austin Tichenor in ''William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged)'' Folger Theatre, 2016. Photo by Teresa Wood.|alt=|center|thumb]]

== Synopsis ==
The wonderfully inventive and wildly hilarious Reduced Shakespeare Company® returns to Folger Theatre in this eagerly anticipated World Premiere. Discovered in a treasure-filled parking lot in Leicester, England, an ancient manuscript proves to be the long-lost first play by none other than the young William Shakespeare from Stratford. Using questionable scholarship and street-performer smarts, the trio of comic actors throw themselves into a fast, funny, and frenzied festival of physical finesse, witty wordplay, and plentiful (pitiful) punning. <em>William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged)</em> is written and directed by two of the world’s most famous Shakespearean comedians, Austin Tichenor and Reed Martin, stars of the PBS film <em>The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)</em>, and authors of <em>The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)</em> (Helen Hayes Award nominee for Best New Play) and the definitive, irreverent reference book <em>Reduced Shakespeare: The Complete Guide for the Attention-Impaired (abridged)</em> (published by Hyperion).

==Production==
Entertainment unions represented in Folger Theatre productions include The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (**), United Scenic Artists (***), and the Actors' Equity Association (*), which includes members of the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers.

===Cast===

*Reed Martin*:  Reed
*Teddy Spencer*: Teddy
*Austin Tichenor*: Austin

===Creative team===

*Reed Martin, Co-Author and Co-Director
*Austin Tichenor, Co-Author and Co-Director
*Skipper Skeoch, Costume Design
*Brittany Diliberto, Lighting Design
*Brandon Roe, Sound Design
*Elaine Randolph*, Production Stage Manager

===Production team===

*Teresa Wood, Casting Assistant
*Elizabeth Brodie, Sean Taber, Production Assistant
*Cidney Forkpah, Wardrobe Head
*James Neylon, Master Electrician
*Amanda Kircher, Light Board Operator
*Brandon Roe, Sound Engineer
*Alli Bostedt, Tim Holtslag, Jennifer Rugyt, Props
*Freya Marcelius, Puppets and Masks
*Jane Martin, RSC General Manager
*Alli Bostedt, RSC Company Manager
*WiT Media, Advertising Agency
*Teresa Wood, Production Photography
*Daniel Coston, Playbill Cover Photography
*Heather Daniels, Lee Fanning, Mark Fastoso, and APTV, Promotional Video
*WAPAVA, Archival Video
*C2, Open Captioning

===Folger Theatre===

*Janet Alexander Griffin, Artistic Producer

*Beth Emelson, Associate Artistic Producer

*David Polk, General Manager

*Charles Flye, Theatre Production Manager

*Rebekah Sheffer, Assistant Technical Director

*Katherine Pitt, Humanities Programs Assistant

==Other media==

Watch the trailer for this production of ''William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged)."''

<html5media height="180" width="320">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJbCRfRwj-s</html5media>

==Reviews==

*[https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/caliban-and-the-taliban-shakespeare-as-youve-never-imagined/2016/04/25/6f1ecde4-0b09-11e6-8ab8-9ad050f76d7d_story.html The Washington Post]
*[http://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2016/04/25/review-26/ DC Metro Theater Arts]
*[http://dctheatrescene.com/2016/04/26/william-shakespeares-long-lost-first-play-abridged/ DC Theater Scene]
*[http://mdtheatreguide.com/2016/04/theatre-review-shakespeares-long-lost-first-play-by-reduced-shakespeare-company-at-the-folger-theatre/ MD TheatreGuide]

==Image gallery==
<gallery>
File:RSC 16.jpg|Reed Martin, Teddy Spencer, and Austin Tichenor in ''William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged)'' Folger Theatre, 2016. Teresa Wood.
File:RSC 36.jpg|Teddy Spencer and Austin Tichenor in ''William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged)'' Folger Theatre, 2016. Teresa Wood.
</gallery>

[[Category: Public programs]]
[[Category: Folger Theatre]]
[[Category: 21st century]]
[[Category: American theater]]