(Photo provided)

LAKE PLACID — Reading the works of William Shakespeare takes time. Who has that?

Enter the Reduced Shakespeare Company.

The 38-year-old theater troupe will bring its world-renown production of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” to the Lake Placid Center for the Arts on Saturday, Aug. 10.

Three actors from the company will perform the play, which runs through each of Shakespeare’s 37 plays in just over an hour and a half, at 8 p.m.

“As you can imagine, some of (the plays) are only two to three minutes long,” said LPCA Marketing Director Alison Simcox. “It’s just three actors playing all the roles. It’s hilarious.”

The timeless tragedies, comedies and histories penned by the bard are transformed here into a wild, engaging roller-coaster ride by writers Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield.

“It pokes fun at some of the seriousness that surrounds Shakespeare,” Simcox said. “It’s totally silly. Some people compare it to Eric Idle of Monty Python. It has this ridiculousness to it. It’s going to be completely captivating.”

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) was one of the longest-running comedic productions at the Piccadilly Circus in London. The play has been praised by critics in the New York Times, the Times of London, The Guardian and more for the troupe’s madcap, fast-paced performances.

“It’s for everyone,” Simcox said. “You don’t have to be a traditional theater lover to enjoy it.

“It’s also not just a witnessing of a play. The fourth wall is broken down, and the actors sometimes speak directly to the audience. I think it’s something a lot of people haven’t seen before.”

Tickets to the show at LPCA are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Tickets are available online at www.lakeplacidarts.org or by calling the box office at 518-523-2512.