A Comedy Of Errors
One of Shakespeare’s earliest plays (the scholar’s tell us), this trifle, A COMEDY OF ERRORS, is based on the work of the Roman playwright, Plautus. Two sets of twins, separated as children in a raging storm, manage to miss collision (until the end) when one set, a young Greek businessman, Antepholus, and his shorter, stockier slave, Dromio, come to Ephesus. Unbeknownst to all, the father of the two non-slaves is about to be executed for the crime of merely being from Syracuse, an enemy of Ephesus.
But as these things invariably turn out, love conquers all, amidst much comic mayhem. Now, it’s hard to make this kind of basic farce work outside of its time-frame (late sixteenth century) unless you find contemporary equivalency. Rodgers/Hart/Abbott made a fabulous musical out of it (THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE, 1938) and Shovelove/Gelbart/Sondheim made another terrific musical of it (A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, 1962).
So what has director Michael Michetti done with it? Made another fantastic choice by placing it in the mid-1920s in a Burlesque setting. The same low-brow humor that BOYS and FUNNY THING made effective use of is on display here. Opening on Kurt Boetcher’s sleazily evocative set, with Angela Balogh Calin’s appropriate costumes, the hilarity that Michetti draws from his professionally-solid actors makes it an evening to remember.
Starting off with an introduction of the actors as if they were actually performing in a burlesque house, each one takes on the characteristics of their characters: juvenile, ingénue, Nance (sissy man), Shakespearean ham, domineering matron, etc, they take bows before the show-within-the-show begins, apparently playing on the fact that the 1920s audience would have seen them often in this venue. So, as an example, the nance fellow (Gibby Brand) plays the Abbess as well as Nell, the Madame of the local bordello.
Bruce Turk, less handsome than as described by others, but a bravura classical actor, is the two Antipholi (of Syracuse and of Ephesus) and Jerry Kernion plays the two Dromio’s (same Greek city-states). They require slightly different characterizations, which they, indeed, give us. Along with everyone else, they have a great time of it, and it is all grand, silly fun. The entire cast is strong and funny.
A Noise Within is certainly well-known for the overall quality of their productions and they are to be congratulated on this latest endeavor as well. Bravo, ANW! Laughed my fool head off!!!
Through May 14th, 2011 at A Noise Within, 240 S. Brand Boulevard, Glendale, CA 91204. Tickets: 818.240.0910 or www.ANoiseWithin.org