PicksInSix Review: THE COMEDY OF ERRORS Chicago Shakespeare Theater
BUMBELLINNI BEDAZZLE IN “COMEDY OF ERRORS”
If you have to ask what a “Bumbellinni” is, you will not be alone. That is, until you have enjoyed the acrobatic skill and sheer pathos of a trio of Commedia-inspired stagehands around which a spirited troupe forms to present Chicago Shakespeare Company’s “The Comedy of Errors,” this year’s frolicking and fun offering of Short Shakespeare now playing at The Yard on Navy Pier.
Adapted at a blistering pace by David H. Bell, CST’s Short Shakespeare offering is a compact, non-stop, comic gem layered with mirth and madness by director Eli Newell. This adaptation of “Comedy of Errors” was originally mounted in 2013 and directed by Bell as a touring show for CST’s Shakespeare in the Parks series.
The current production recreates the touring company aesthetic of the original with Newell and a superb cast telling Shakespeare’s classic comedy of mistaken identities. The wide-eyed physical gags and comic mayhem is framed by the earnest and engaging players who lead the way into the production with a clever and inspired preamble that is a real crowd-pleaser for young and old alike.
An early comedy in Shakespeare’s canon, the story is about father Egeon (Drew Shirley) and mother, Emilia (Lillian Castillo) who, while travelling from Syracuse, are caught in a storm that splits the family apart. Central to the tale are two sets of twins: the natural-born twins: Antipholus from Syracuse (Adam Wesley Brown) and Antipholus from Ephesus (Casey Hoekstra); and the servant twins, the Dromios: Sam Linda (Ephesus) and Ian Maryfield (Syracuse). Observing, and unwitting parties to, the action are Adriana (Nora Carroll), the wife of Antipholus of Ephesus, and her sister Luciana (Phoebe González). Laurence Stepney plays the Duke of Ephesus; Nima Rakhshanifar is the wily merchant Angelo; Drew doubles as the maniacally hilarious Luce and then there are the Bumbles—Dan Plehal, Jack D. Olin and Samuel Douglas— who do all the rest.
The rustic scene design, replete with mini-trampolines, is the work of Tom Burch, with additional scenic elements by Alan E. Schwanke, lighting design by Michelle E. Benda and sound by Eric Backus, which fills The Yard with a festive atmosphere. With the colorful array of costumes by Ana Kuzmanic, wig and makeup by Richard Jarvie and the talents of verse coach Chaon Cross and compositions by Jonathan Bauerfeld, the production looks and sounds as if it resides in another fanciful time.
This is an interactive experience with the audience and includes an informal cast talkback immediately following the show that provides a perfect introduction to Shakespeare for the audience of 30,000 students who will attend through CST’s extraordinary educational outreach program over the next six weeks. “Comedy of Errors” will then tour for two weeks to other locations. And you can see weekend shows, which are open to the public, through Feb. 29.
PHOTOS|Liz Lauren
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER
Presents
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
through February 29
THE YARD
NAVY PIER
For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago