Comedy of Errors

From: "will stackman" profwlll@yahoo.com

Subject: Quicktake - "Comedy of Errors" by Wm. Shakespeare

Date: Fri, March 2, 2007 11:23 AM

Quicktake on COMEDY OF ERRORS

     The Imaginary Beasts, a physical theatre resident at the Lynn Center for the Arts, has opened their latest effort at the Charlestown Working Theatre. “The Comedy of Errors”, largely borrowed from Plautus’ Roman farce, “The Twin Menachmi” is an early Shakespearean effort with a complicated Italianate plot and various passages intended to show off the author’s rhetorical skill, including a solemn opening which sets for the circumstances. Matthew Woods’ the group director starts off with this static scene but quickly moves into a commedia mode which suits the varied skills of his company. Unfortunately these don’t include consistent verse speaking and enunciation on the part of all these young actors. He’s also emphasized the confusion of identities in the plot by a lot of cross-gender casting. Of the identical twin brothers, Antipholus of Syracuse is played by Debra Mein, while Antipholus of Ephesus is played by Daniel Balkin. The latter’s wife is played by Rocky Graziano while her sister is played by Elizabeth Olson. The two Dromios, slaves both. are played by Jennifer O’Connor and Caitlin Stewart-Swift, dressed in clown suits made from over-sized long underwear.

    The costumery in general much of which is changed onstage behind a pair of rolling racks which constitute the show’s only scenery, is an imaginative hodgepodge with a period feel. The rest of the ensemble. all women, play a variety of characters with energy if some tendency to indicate. The pace of the show would be improved by cutting some of the obscure humor and an attempt to identify locations. Better music choices would also help or even an original score with identifiable themes. Woods might do well to put this concept on the shelf and revisit it when he had a stronger company. The present production is however worth the short trip over to Charlestown. The Working Theatre is after all only two and a half blocks from the Sullivan Sq. stop on the Orange Line and street parking is available. The Imaginary Beasts will also be running the show at the Lynn Center for the Arts.

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"Comedy of Errors" by Wm. Shakespeare, Mar.1 - 10

The Imaginary Beasts at Charlestown Working Theatre

422 Bunker Hill St., Charlestown / (978) 500-5533
ImaginaryBeasts