Cover photo by Carol Pratt/Scott Bushnell,
compliments of Reduced Shakespeare Company

The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)

Adam Long, Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor
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PERFORMANCE RIGHTS

Note

28-page PDF piano/vocal score for production. View Perusal.
Recordings consist of 7 WAV backing tracks for production.

Description

An affectionate, irreverent roller-coaster ride from fig leaves to Final Judgment, tackling the great theological questions: Did Adam and Eve have navels? Did Moses really look like Charlton Heston? And why isn’t the word “phonetic” spelled the way it sounds? Whether you’re Catholic or Atheist, Muslim or Jew, Protestant or Purple People Eater, you will be tickled by this romp through old-time religion.

Production Info

Cast: 3 total (3 male, as written; gender-diverse and/or expanded casts welcome)
Full Length Comedy (about 100 minutes)
Minimal Set Requirements
Contemporary Costumes
Category: Tag:
Reviews

Press Quotes

“… There is no doubt about it, these three lads are in a league of their own when it comes to vivid originality in the show … They have sublime moments of surreal theatricality … Sly minds are at work throughout. Posing the theological question: Does God have a sense of humor? They prove that undoubtedly he has. Why else would he have left the Children of Israel to wander the Middle East for forty years and then give them the only bit of land with no oil on it?” —Jack Tinker, Daily Mail (London)

“… That apocalyptic roller-coaster of sex, violence, murder and miracles — the Bible — has been abridged by three American sinners. And verily this blasphemous, hilarious zip through the Old and New Testaments will henceforth be proclaimed as THE BIBLE: THE COMPLETE WORD OF GOD (ABRIDGED) … Not even the most somber, uptight Scientologist could take offense at this snappy, slick and utterly entertaining show …” —Sunday Express (London)

“‘In the beginning,’ a godlike voice informs us, ‘there was chaos.’ But why stop there? The disorder continues throughout the middle and end of THE BIBLE: THE COMPLETE WORD OF GOD (ABRIDGED) until the neat rows of audience have dissolved hysterically into the aisles. In spoofing the book they call ‘the greatest story ever accepted as fact,’ The Reduced Shakespeare Company combines shtick, wordplay, physical humor, sight gags, audience participation and jokes so old … gleefully give in to the giggles and the guffaws and, indeed, the buffoonery is hard to resist …” —Ron Weiskind, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“In the beginning there was THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED). And it was good. And SHAKESPEARE begat THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF AMERICA (ABRIDGED). And that was good, too. And now AMERICA has begat (begotten?, begetted? … whatever) THE BIBLE: THE COMPLETE WORD OF GOD (ABRIDGED), and damned if it isn’t the funniest of the lot …” —Bob Mondello, City Paper (Washington)

About the Author

Author

  • Adam Long

    Adam Long is the co-creator, co-writer and director of the Reduced Shakespeare Company's THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED), which ran in London's West End for nine years and was nominated for an Olivier Award. THE COMPLETE WORKS also ran Off-Broadway twice and continues to enjoy numerous successful tours throughout the world. His feature-length film THE BARN won The Raindance Award at the British Independent Film Awards. Adam has written for Disney (DUDE THAT'S MY GHOST, HISTORY ON TOAST and LAST MINUTE BOOK REPORTS), PBS (THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED)), Channel Four UK (TRIGGER HAPPY TV and THE RING REDUCED), BBC Radio Four (THE HISTORY BOYS CONDENSED, CONDENSED HISTORIES OF THE BRITISH POLITICAL PARTIES and HOME TRUTHS) and Lucasfilm & BSkyB (STAR WARS SHORTENED). Other stage shows include DICKENS ABRIDGED (The Arts Theatre, London and UK Tour), SATAN SINGS MOSTLY SONDHEIM (Jermyn St. Theatre, London), THE BIBLE: THE COMPLETE WORD OF GOD (ABRIDGED) (Reduced Shakespeare), THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF AMERICA (ABRIDGED) (Reduced Shakespeare), and DECONSTRUCTING ALBERT (The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield). Adam also provides the voice of Mr. Small for the BAFTA and Emmy Award winning THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL(Cartoon Network).

  • Reed Martin

    Reed Martin co-created and performed in the original productions of THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF AMERICA (ABRIDGED), THE BIBLE: THE COMPLETE WORD OF GOD (ABRIDGED), WESTERN CIVILIZATION: THE COMPLETE MUSICAL (ABRIDGED), ALL THE GREAT BOOKS (ABRIDGED), COMPLETELY HOLLYWOOD (ABRIDGED), THE COMPLETE WORLD OF SPORTS (ABRIDGED), THE ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS SHOW (ABRIDGED), AND THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF COMEDY (ABRIDGED). He also contributed additional material to THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED). Reed is a managing partner of the Reduced Shakespeare Company and has performed in London's West End, at Lincoln Center Theater, Kennedy Center, Seattle Repertory Theatre, American Repertory Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theater, California Shakespeare Festival, McCarter Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, Old Globe Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, The White House and Madison Square Garden, as well as in 11 foreign countries. Reed has performed at A.C.T. in San Francisco in Travesties by Tom Stoppard and The Government Inspector, as well as at the Magic Theatre in Moving Right Along, written and directed by Elaine May and featuring Marlo Thomas. He toured for two years as a clown/assistant ringmaster with Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey Circus. His voice was heard in the animated feature film Balto,/i> and just about every other part of him was seen in the British film Carry On Columbus. Reed has written for the BBC, NPR, Britain's Channel Four, RTE Ireland, Public Radio International, The Washington Post and Vogue magazine. With Austin Tichenor he co-authored the book The Greatest Story Ever Sold, published by John Knox/Westminster Press, as well as Reduced Shakespeare: The Complete Guide For The Attention-Impaired (abridged), published by Hyperion. His work has been nominated for an Olivier Award in London, a Helen Hayes Award in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critic's Circle Award. He has a BA in Political Science/Theatre from UC Berkeley, an MFA in Acting from UC San Diego and is a graduate of Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey Clown College. A member of both the Dramatists Guild and The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Reed is also a former professional minor league baseball umpire. He lives in Northern California with his wife and two sons, all three of whom are much funnier than he is.

  • Austin Tichenor

    Austin Tichenor is a playwright, lyricist, songwriter, director, and actor. He's the co-author of nine COMPLETE (abridged) stage comedies, which have been produced around the world, published in two countries, and translated into over a dozen languages; the beautifully illustrated (by Jennie Maizels) children's book for all ages Pop-Up Shakespeare; the irreverent reference book Reduced Shakespeare: The Complete Guide for the Attention-Impaired (abridged); the comic memoir How The Bible Changed Our Lives (Mostly For The Better) for all e-book platforms; the half-hour film The Ring Reduced for UK's Channel 4; the half-hour pilot The Week Reduced for TBS; and the six episode Reduced Shakespeare Radio Show for the BBC World Service. He also produces and hosts the weekly Reduced Shakespeare Company Podcast, which was named one of Broadway World's Top Ten Podcasts for Theatre Fans. Austin is an alumnus of the BMI Musical Theatre workshop and has written over a dozen plays and musicals for young audiences. His full-length one-act DANCING ON THE CEILING (an adaptation of Kafka's "The Metamorphosis") and adaptation of FRANKENSTEIN are both published by Broadway Play Publishing, and he directed the world premiere of his adaptation of New York Times bestselling author Jasper Fforde's THE EYRE AFFAIR in 2016. As co-managing partner of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, he has performed with them around the world, Off-Broadway, in London's West End, in the PBS version of THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (abridged), and at such theaters as the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, American Repertory Theatre, the Folger Shakespeare Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, and Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. On TV, Austin played recurring roles on 24, Alias, Felicity, Ally McBeal, and The Practice, and guest starred as Guys In Ties on The West Wing, The X-Files, ER, The Mentalist, Nip/Tuck, Gilmore Girls, and on many other hours of episodic television. He's also performed his own material many times on NPR and the BBC, performed with both the Oakland Symphony and in Disney Hall with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and acted in the midwest premiere of Lauren Gunderson's THE BOOK OF WILL at Chicago's Northlight Theatre, and in the world premiere of IN THE GARDEN: A DARWINIAN LOVE STORY with Chicago's Tony Award-winning Lookingglass Theatre Company. Austin is a fifth-generation Californian who was born on the 54th anniversary of the San Francisco Earthquake and the 185th anniversary of Paul Revere's Ride, which makes him older than he looks but short for his weight. Austin is a member of the Dramatists Guild, has a BA in History and Theatre from UC Berkeley and an MFA from Boston University, and currently lives in Chicago with his improviser and writer wife Dee Ryan, their two kids, and too many cats.

About the Book

Book Information

Publisher BPPI
Publication Date 5/13/2013
Pages 78
ISBN 9780881455687

Special Notes

Special Notes

Licensees are required to include the original stage producers credits in the following form on the title page in all programs distributed in connection with performances of the Play and in all advertising in which the full cast appears in size of type not less than ten percent (10%) of the size of the title of the Play:

Originally produced by Reduced Shakespeare Company

The following must appear within all programs distributed in connection with performances of the Play:
The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) is produced
by special arrangement with Broadway Play Publishing Inc, NYC
www.broadwayplaypublishing.com

Rehearsal Audio

Rehearsal Audio

The tracks below demonstrate how the following four songs in the show should sound.

“In the Beginning Blues” by Adam Long, Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor

“Begattin'” by Adam Long, Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor

“Elijah and Elisha” by Adam Long, Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor

“That’s Armegeddon!” by Adam Long, Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor

Productions

Upcoming and Recent Productions

Professional


7/7/2017 – 8/13/2017
Amphibian Stage Productions
Fort Worth, TX

Nonprofessional


6/3/2022 – 6/4/2022
Breck School
Golden Valley, MN

5/23/2019 – 5/25/2019
Columbia Basin College
Pasco, WA

5/3/2019 – 5/19/2019
Allens Lane Art Center
Philadelphia, PA

11/8/2018 – 11/11/2018
Lakeland University
Plymouth, WI

8/31/2018 – 9/8/2018
Pontiac Theatre Iv
Pontiac, MI

5/25/2018 – 6/10/2018
Threshold Repertory Theatre
Charleston, SC

5/11/2018 – 5/20/2018
Panache Theatrical Production
Wilmington, NC

4/13/2018 – 4/15/2018
Circle Ensemble Theatre Company
Winterville, GA

11/10/2017 – 11/19/2017
Fairfield Footlighters
Fairfield, OH

5/27/2017 – 6/6/2017
Black Box Theater
Golden Valley, MN

4/26/2017 – 4/30/2017
Encore Of Hibbing
Hibbing, MN

4/20/2017 – 4/22/2017
Villanova University
Villanova, PA

2/25/2017 – 3/6/2017
Port Arthur Little Theatre
Port Arthur, TX

11/13/2016 – 11/13/2016
Macalester College
St Paul, MN

10/27/2016 – 10/29/2016
Salesian College Preparatory
Richmond, CA

6/10/2016 – 6/26/2016
Theater Artists Olympia
Olympia, WA

4/15/2016 – 5/1/2016
Qc Theatre Workshop
Davenport, IA

3/25/2016 – 4/3/2016
Kilauea Drama & Entertainment Network (kden)
Hawaii National Park, HI