Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors" is true to its title. This tale of twinning and the ensuing mistaken identities goes to such silly extremes that it would be a mistake not to laugh. Chesapeake Shakespeare Company's outdoor production at the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park makes the most of this nonsense with a family-friendly production.
Although the story escalates into potentially dizzying complications, it's actually easy for the audience to keep track of who is who and what is what. Of course, it's anything but easy for the confused characters.
It certainly helps that at the very beginning of the play a merchant from Syracuse named Aegeon (Frank Mancino) explains that he fathered twin sons, Antipholus of Syracuse (Matthew Ancarrow) and Antipholus of Ephesus (Robby Rose); and that these sons had servants who also were twins, Dromio of Syracuse (Kelsey Painter) and Dromio of Ephesus (Robby Henneberg).
During his lengthy prologue, Aegeon states that a shipwreck left some family members missing. That naval mishap happened around 30 years ago, and now Aegeon finds himself being held captive in the enemy city of Ephesus, not realizing that missing family members are there as well.
This prologue is so deliberately wordy that one of the biggest laughs of the evening is when Aegeon briefly pauses for breath and says "Let me say no more." Well, he says plenty more, and Mancino's manic immersion in this role augurs well for a production in which going over the top is the norm.
Directed by Scott Alan Small, this staging indulges in the million or so ways in which this story might seem implausible and downright illogical. In that respect, the casting has an anything-goes attitude in terms of gender and body type.
The result is that the characters seem oblivious to things that are obvious to us. This discrepancy is accentuated by the actors displaying a range of accents and performance styles, and also by the vividly distinct costumes designed by Heather C. Jackson.
All this adds up to massive confusion for the characters, and more than enough laughter for us. Also, the play's brevity means that its vaudeville-type silliness does not overstay its welcome.
Some of the most pungent acting comes from the two Dromios. As Dromio of Syracuse, Kelsey Painter is a slender figure nervously flitting about a stage whose multiple doors will see a lot of use. As Dromio of Ephesus, Bobby Henneberg is a hefty comedian who derives laughs with the agility of his pratfalls.
Surely the most striking performance in the show is by Mary Myers as Adriana, the wife of Antipholus of Ephesus. Myers embodies this confident character, and her phrasing is so clear that it has the unintended effect of calling your attention to some of the supporting players whose voices don't always carry well under these outdoor conditions.
Fortunately, Carson Elizabeth Gregory is nearly her match for confidence and clarity in the role of Adriana's sister Luciana. In a play in which so much is so silly, it's crucial that the eloquently phrased conversations between Adriana and Luciana give the play emotional substance.
The broad comedy and madcap plotting facilitate this production's generous inclusion of songs. Among the most intriguing choices is the use of a tune called "Satan Come Forth" from a 1976 musical version of "The Comedy of Errors." Although this song goes on for quite awhile, it directly relates to an exorcism subplot and has a zany operetta quality.
Other music that's deployed with daffy enthusiasm ranges from Handel to the Talking Heads. As with so many of the company's previous shows, this sort of musical grafting often seems glib and overextended.
Shakespeare is eternally relevant without feeling compelled to amplify the Bard with pop tunes. This particular comedy of errors speaks to all ages.
Some of the kids at a recent performance giggled so much that it would have put a smile on Shakespeare's face.
"The Comedy of Errors" runs through July 19 at the Patapsco FemaleInstitute Historic Park, 3691 Sarah's Lane in Ellicott City. Performances are
Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 6 p.m.; a Fourth of July
performance is at 5 p.m. Tickets are $29- $38, $29 for seniors, $15 for students
25 and under, free for children under 19 with a paying adult. Call
410-244-8570 or go to http://www.ChesapeakeShakespeare.com