Theatre department stages "Comedy of Errors"

Photo by Davi Soesilo

Rachel Schrock throws Pete Nelson a death stare as she plays her role in one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays, The Comedy of Errors. The play is going into its final weekend and will close on March 23.

Edited and directed by Paul Hildebrand, EMU’s production of The Comedy of Errors is a light and humorous rendition of Shakespeare’s earliest play.

The Comedy of Errors tells a delightfully comic story of identical twins who were separated at a young age. One twin sets out to find his long-lost brother and is mistaken for him when he unknowingly enters the town where his brother lives. These "errors" continue until the very last scene, which reveals an unexpected surprise.

The characters are entertaining and are played well despite a fairly young cast. For several cast members, this is their first university-level production.

The show begins with a condensed prologue from the Roman playwright Plautus, author of The Twin Meneachmi (the play Shakespeare adapted into Comedy). Next, the twin Antipholuses are introduced. In costume, they are very similar in appearance. Off-stage, though, Antipholus of Syracuse is not truly a brother to the Ephesian twin—a more appropriate term would be "sister."

Senior Christie Benner plays this part alongside freshman Pete Nelson. Benner feels that the best part of being in The Comedy of Errors was finally "meeting" her character.

"I tried to really meet Antipholus. To think like Antipholus, walk like Antipholus. Learning to walk like a man was the first part. It’s all in the hips—they don’t move at all. I just don’t understand it. I don’t know how. But it’s fun. I love it!"

Benner says the best thing about the show, collectively, happens when they stop rehearsing scenes. "When we finally start doing the whole story…that’s when I know it’s real."

Last summer Hildebrand picked Comedy for his production and began reading scripts by Shakespeare and Plautus. The Comedy of Errors was Hildebrand’s directing project in grad school, so he was already familiar with it. He believes Comedy is a great piece for a university production because it is "short enough, is funny, has a nice cast, and provides lots of participation. There’s no one ‘star,’ which gives several actors the opportunity to shine."

Hildebrand also appreciates Comedy as Shakespeare’s earliest work. He says, "it holds the beginnings of Shakespeare’s greatest works. Behind the light humor there are dark issues… The Syracusian Antipholus is in danger of his life every moment he stays in this town. He’s lost his brother, which is like losing his own identity. (They have the same name now.) The parents are separated tragically and one is sentenced to death. Those are the bases of classic, amazing Shakespeare. We’re participating in his growth."

As both director and teacher, Hildebrand greatly enjoys helping his cast grow. He feels that the best part of watching The Comedy of Errors come together was "watching students grow and become comfortable in their voice and role, become a team, and work together. They grow so much."

The production takes place in the Old Gym Theater, which is set up for theater on the round, a form of theater in which the audience surrounds the actors in an arena. It makes the show equally enjoyable to all spectators and fits Shakespeare’s work perfectly, since he wrote for a bare stage.

Three more performances of The Comedy of Errors will take place this weekend, March 19, 20, and 21, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the EMU Box Office; prices are $6 for students and senior citizens; $3 for children 10 and under; $8 for adult advance reservation; and $10 for adult admission the day of the show. EMU students are eligible for one free ticket.