Complete History packs laughs into fast-paced account

By Megan Hasche

Mirror Staff Writer
February 29, 2008

It’s not often that Christopher Columbus, Diana Ross, Ronald Reagan, the Andrews Sisters and numerous other American historical figures and icons take the stage in one night.  But this is no ordinary production.

The Complete History of America (Abridged) offers a fresh, funny look at the history of the United States. The show is an irreverent, witty parody of America, the American people and the roles they share in world history.

Senior Chapman Riedel and juniors Sean McCain and Molly Buyske spend 90 minutes scurrying, galloping and crawling around stage in an attempt to cram in the “complete” history of the U.S. In doing so, they present one heck of a funny show.

The fast-paced nature of the show keeps the audience on the edges of their seats for the whole production. The actors are constantly on the move, often pulling off costume changes in seconds.

“Sometimes we have 15 seconds to put on a whole new costume and get out on stage,” Buyske said. 

The show begins with the cast marching down to the stage, belting out “The Star Spangled Banner” with the syllables offset. They executed it flawlessly, and set the stage for an impressive show filled with wit, a touch of sarcasm and a lot of hilarity.

What sets this show apart from many others is that the actors play themselves on stage.

“When I’m narrating I am Molly, but sometimes I play other characters like a private eye named Spade Diamond or Ben Franklin,” Buyske said. “It really is quite fun to play all these different characters but still get to be yourself onstage.”

Another unique aspect of the production is how the actors involve the entire audience.

“The audience is the fourth character in this show,” Riedel said.  “There aren’t many shows where it is encouraged that you interact, and even sometimes harass, the audience.”

In an impromptu appearance of current President George W. Bush, the audience is asked to confront the president with questions.

“That part is different with every audience, so this level of unpredictability makes the show change from night to night,” Riedel said.  “There’s no way for things to get routine or boring.”

Each audience is different, and the actors must adapt to the audiences’ reaction in a split second.  In addition to the audience, many parts of the script specify sections of improv.

“In this show, there is a bit more opportunity to improvise and have fun, as long as it sticks with the story line,” Buyske said.

Despite its relatively short timeframe of 90 minutes, the show succeeds in presenting a very broad timeline of events.  From the land bridge across the Bering Strait 50,000 years ago up through the Obama-Clinton debates, the show touches base on an incredible amount of American history.

Because the show covers such a broad spectrum of history, the actors had to do a bit of research to familiarize themselves with the characters and events they portrayed.

“YouTube and Wikipedia were definitely invaluable,” Riedel said.

In covering thousands of years of political history, the show seamlessly weaves in countless references to pop culture as well.  From The Wizard of Oz to High School Musical, from vaudeville to film noir, the actors allude and play out numerous scenes and characters.

Despite the show’s comic nature, the actors do not hesitate to say controversial things while on stage.  The play is seemingly written to offend as many Americans  as possible. For all the offensive, blunt and downright rude comments throughout the show, they serve to get the audience thinking about our actions as Americans.

Overall, The Complete History of America (Abridged) offers a fresh look at the history of our country.  The show appeals to a wide audience, partly because of the broad array of allusions to events, people and places.

Who knew history could be so much fun?