Comedy of Errors

I attended the Wednesday, April 20th production of Comedy of Errors.  I was unfamiliar with the play or the writing upon which this production was based so I didn't really know what to expect.  Thankfully, the production team had anticipated this to be the case for some members of the audience...the middle pages of the playbill contained a creatively drawn cartoon strip that detailed the backstory of the play so that we would know what was going on when the curtain went up.  Very helpful as the play, written in the late 1500's by William Shakespeare, is a complicated story.  It begins with a happy couple expecting a baby which results in the birth of twins who were both named Antipholus.  In addition to these new additions to the family, the father purchases two newborn twin boys from a destitute couple and brings them into his family as slaves for his own sons.  These twin boys are named Dromio.  Returning from a journey to their home, there is a terrible storm at sea...one Antipholus and one Dromio are separated from the father and the other Antipholus and the other Dromio.  One Antipholus and Dromio grow up alongside their father but, once they are grown, journey off to find their lost brothers, the other Antipholus and Dromio.  The father soon follows in an attempt to locate all four boys again.  What ensues after this point is literally a "comedy of errors" as the four young men move around the city of Ephesus without knowledge that the other pair is present.  Mistaken identities and mass confusion follow until ultimately the truth is unfolded and the boys are reunited with each other and their father.  As I said, very complicated and hard to explain in a short paragraph!!

The USC production of this Shakespeare play was very creatively done.  Upon entering the theatre and viewing the set onstage, I could tell immediately that this was going to be presented in a "non-traditional" way.  The set was very creative and smack in the middle was what appeared to be a giant, brightly colored puppet stage...a dead giveaway that this would not be a traditional Shakespearean presentation based on my own limited knowledge of Shakespeare.  This creativity continued to be evident as the show began and actors began to appear onstage.  Actors were clad in very brightly colored costumes with cartoonish wigs that went perfectly with the slapstick comedy and sense of humor and fun that pervaded the show.  The set was creatively built to reflect the town of Ephesus and its storefronts and homes.  Actors could climb ladders behind the sets to be seen in 2nd floor windows inside these storefronts and homes which was a creative touch and allowed for more interest on the stage. 

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the show.  I was nervous and intimidated at first by the Shakespearean language used to present the play but that quickly evaporated.  The director did a fantastic job of making the plot and the language accessible through the actors movements and antics.  It was presented with a huge dose of humor which kept me laughing through the entire show.  Would love to see it again!