The Charleston Community Theater is breaking new ground this summer.

Traditionally, the theater group performs three performances a year; in the fall, winter and summer; but this year they are adding another show.

“We’ve extended our season,” said Anne Higley, producer for the theater group. “This is the first time we’ve ever done a summer show.”

The performance will be “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)” by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, the original members of the Reduced Shakespeare Company.

The comedic performance will attempt to fit all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays and his 154 sonnets into a time span of less than two hours.

“It’s a high energy, Reader’s Digest version of Shakespeare as done by Monty Python on crack,” said Matt Fear, director and participant of the performance.

Fear, a 2000 graduate of Eastern, also described the show as “a collision between Shakespeare and ‘Saturday Night Live’.”

During the second act, the three performers will display Hamlet five times, Fear said.

“I don’t want to give too much away,” he said, “but the last time we do it is very special.”

The performance will mark a second milestone for the Charleston Community Theater as well as being the first summer performance. This weekend’s performance will be the first to be held on an outdoor stage, said Higley.

The event will be held at the Kiwanis Park Amphitheater, in place of Tarble Arts Center, where the theater typically holds performances.

“It’s really wonderful that we get to do this in the park,” said co-producer Martha Mills. “It’s such a great venue.”

Fear has wanted to do an outdoor performance in Charleston for a long time, he said. This play was the perfect fit for that atmosphere.

“This show is meant to be done outside,” he said.

Given the interactive nature of the performance and the audience participation, the show lends itself to an outdoor arena. Fear has performed the show outdoors once at the Urbana Street Festival with a Tuscola-based theater group.

“It was such a great time,” he said. “The audience was really into it.”

Fear said that at first it can be difficult to try to do a performance as fast paced as “Shakespeare,” but that it also presents a challenge.

“It’s a challenge in and of itself,” he said, “but I found that with the right group of people, it’s overcomeable. If you know the people, it’s good because you can joke around and have fun.”

Fear will star in the act with two friends from the Champaign area, Aaron Clark and Mike Harvey.

“These two guys are quite possibly the funniest and most ridiculous guys in central Illinois,” said Fear.

Fear, Clark and Harvey have been practicing for six weeks to prepare for this performance, and the theater program is appreciative of their hard work and dedication.

“We’re really pleased with Matt and his actors for doing this,” Higley said.

The play will be performed four times throughout the weekend and all shows will be free of charge to the public.

“We’re pleased that the Charleston Recreation Department is letting the CCT use the [amphitheater], and that we can give back to the community in this way,” said Mills.

Both Higley and Fear encourage everyone to come to at least one of the performances.

“If you’re not doing anything this weekend, come see the show,” said Fear. “If you are doing stuff this weekend, I think you should cancel it, reschedule it, and come out to see the show.”

“Everyone should come out and bring a friend,” Higley said. “It should be ‘fall out of your chair and roll around on the ground laughing’ hysterical.”

Performances will be held on Friday at 7p.m.; on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and on Sunday at 2 p.m.