Review: The Complete History of America, Abridged (Metropolis Arts)

Scotty Zacher | February 6, 2012 | 0 Comments

Complete History of America
    (Abridged)

By Adam Long, Reed Martin & Austin Tichenor
Directed by David Belew
Metropolis Arts Centre, Arlington Heights (map)
thru Feb 12 | tickets: $39-$43   | more info

Check for half-price tickets

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Who knew 500 years of American history could be so fun?

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre presents

The Complete History of America (Abridged)

Review by Melody Udell

If you don’t know much about American history before sitting through the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre’s The Complete History of America (Abridged), you won’t leave much wiser. But actors Adam Kander, Mat Labotka and Michael Woods aren’t too concerned with that. Instead, they condense 500 years of American history into one 90-minute segment pumped full of zany, slapstick humor and juvenile antics. And their goal is to keep you laughing, all the way from a rap about the 13 colonies to a balloon-headed Abraham Lincoln.

The Complete History starts off at full-speed, and the audience feed off the actors’ screwball energy and comedic enthusiasm, even when the jokes are stale. (Labotka even acknowledges, “Come on people, these are the best jokes of 1805!”) The trio has great chemistry, and each one proves their comedic (and even musical) chops in almost every scene. Some of the show’s humor comes from its interaction with the audience, whether improvised or scripted. The cast calls out a few latecomers and a boisterous laugher at the beginning of the show, then proceeds to quiz audience members on famous women a few scenes later. And fair warning: Many audience members become casualties of World War I trench warfare when the actors shoot at each other willy-nilly with Super Soakers.

Wrapping up this widely inaccurate crash course in American history, the show begins to rely heavily on tired one-liners, and a confusing film noir scene doesn’t have the same appeal for today’s generation. (Why, exactly, was Lucille Ball wrapped up in JFK’s assassination?) But with all their charm and hilarious stage presence, Kander, Labotka and Woods don’t seem the type to tie things up in neat packages. A few more topical jabs would’ve provided a welcome update to the material, which was originally written in 1993 by the founding members of Reduced Shakespeare Company: Adam Long, Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor.

The actors — drawing on each other’s consistent energy and hilarious over-the-top behavior — use the sparse set more as a playground than a stage; its only feature is a hand-drawn timeline of amusingly random moments in American history (e.g., the introduction of Coca Cola, the premiere of The Simpsons).

Inaccuracy aside, The Complete History is a fast-paced show bent on delivering whacky, pun-riddled American history in a hurry. You’ll have the most fun if you leave politics behind and bring a forgiving sense of humor — and possibly a raincoat.

Rating: ★★½

The Complete History of America (Abridged) continues through February 12th at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell, Arlington Heights (map), with performances Thursday at 7:30pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 7pm, and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $39-$43, and are available by phone (847-577-2121) or online at tickets.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at metropolisarts.com. (Running time: 90 minutes, which includes one 15-minute intermission)

artists

cast

Adam Kander, Mat Labotka, Michael Woods. Understudies: Greg Foster, Michael Girts, Jim McDoniel

behind the scenes

David Belew (director); Charlie Beck (executive director); Robin M. Hughes (artistic director); Brian Cummings (set design, master carpenter); Carly Franz (stage manager, asst. production manager); Nancy Kolton (asst. stage manager), William A. Franz (sound design); Eamonn McDonagh (set design, tech director); Yousif Mohamed (lighting), Cindy Ottensmeyer (props); Catherine Tantillo (costumes)

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