# Reduced Shakespeare

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reduced-shakespeare/154204>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 10, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reduced-shakespeare/154204 "2003-02-10T21:29:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reduced-shakespeare/154204/21 "2003-02-11T22:17:01Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by zoid \*  
> **Is it necessary to be really familliar with Sharespear to enjoy the show?**

I don’t think so… though it helps, as some of the jokes are Shakespeare “in-jokes.” My wife isn’t much of a Shakespeare buff, and she got into it too.

I think the part that saves them here is they seem to focus more on the well-known material (Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, etc.) than on the obscure stuff. They don’t ignore the obscure things, but they keep it pretty basic for those. They explore the well-known plays in more depth.

And there’s lots of physical comedy and general wackiness to keep it moving too. I think most anyone can enjoy it, but knowing Shakespeare adds an extra dimension.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reduced-shakespeare/154204/22 "2003-06-02T12:05:26Z")

</div>

Had to bump this thread, cuz Reduced Shakespeare is coming to the Kennedy Center in DC next mont. Hubby and I probably won’t go see it until end of July or August, but are excited. Tickets are more reasonably priced than we expected (less than 40 bucks a pop). DC is a two-hour drive, so we will probably end up staying down there overnight, but still.

And, if it weren’t for you folks, when I heard the commercial for the show yesterday, I wouldn’t have known what all the fuss was about!

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reduced-shakespeare/154204.md?page=1)