The Department of Theatre, Dance and Arts Administration is putting on The Comedy of Errors in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theater on Sept. 25, 27 and 29, with additional shows Oct. 3 and 4 at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for alumni, $6 for youth and non-SUU students, and are free with an SUU ID.
The play was written by William Shakespeare in the late 16th century as one of his first comedies. The adaptation by director and SUU Theatre Arts Professor Peter Sham keeps the story relevant and hilarious as ever. There are references to Looney Tunes, Seinfeld, Star Wars and even modern internet memes. The Old English dialogue and convoluted plot didn’t bog down the humor or acting prowess on display.
The plot concerns two sets of twins separated as babies and raised in two different cities. Antipholus and his servant Drommio, played by Phaedra Vilate Henry and Ashley Halls, come from Syracuse, Italy. They travel to the city of Ephesus, Greece, to find their estranged brothers.
However, trouble ensues when they meet the friends and family of their twin brothers, who are unaware of their Syracusian counterparts. The Esphesian brothers are also named Antipholus and Drommio, played by Emily Wheeler and Charlie Stewart-Léger, and they even wear the same clothes.
They constantly get confused for each other by the townsfolk and even find themselves getting mixed up. This leads to a story of mistaken identity, stolen valor, infidelity, theft, imprisonment and accusations of being controlled by demons.
What really sells the confusion for the audience, beyond the similar wardrobe, wigs and makeup, is the dedication to identical mannerisms and acting style by the actresses playing the brothers. Beyond small details in the script and clothes, the true identities of the characters can be a mystery at the beginning of scenes. This helps bring the audience to the baffling confusion that everyone in Ephesus feels which heightens the hilarity when the brothers’ actions cause problems for their twins.
The wardrobe was fantastic. The story was adapted to be set in a 1980s mall, and the outfits were updated accordingly. The Antipholuses wear ill-fitting, David Byrne-esque suits, the Drommios wear overalls and skating kneepads, and everyone else wears gaudy, colorful outfits that make you feel like you’re watching an MTV music video from 40 years ago, all unique and styled perfectly.
The set and music also leaned heavily into the 80s feel, with tunes by Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson, Madonna and more. The mall backdrop looked right out of an episode of Stranger Things and was filled with visual gags and creative designs.
Another huge inspiration for the adaptation was Looney Tunes. This is evident from the poster, but the cartoon’s influence makes its way into the story with slapstick comedy, such as an ACME branded trampoline, a huge feather used for tickling, a beachball-throwing fight and great foley work to make live sound effects.
“What many people may not know is that [Looney Tunes’] brand of comedy began in Venice in the 1500s,” says Sham in the show’s program. “It was called Commedia Dell’Arte. Commedia … incorporated diverse, masked character archetypes and improvised comic slapstick scenarios. It gave birth to nearly every form of comedy that would follow in history.”
Every fake punch, ridiculous fight scene, exaggerated line delivery and pun made the audience laugh harder than the last. Some scenes caused such loud laughter that you could see the actors themselves fight not to break.
The show ended with a standing ovation and raucous applause. Every performance was portrayed wonderfully and given time to shine. Despite potentially being a bit risqué to recommend for all ages, the show can be enjoyed by anyone even if they usually don’t like Shakespeare or stage productions in general.
Despite the silly, throwback presentation, the creative team felt the show has an important message for the modern age as well, and there were even a few emotional moments at the end.
“This play resonates for today’s audiences more than ever,” says Sham. “We live in an era of information overload, glitchy online identities, and constant confusion over what’s real and what’s not. With today’s constant threat of AI takeover, deepfakes and digital avatars, mistaken identity has never been more relevant.”
For more information on the show, go to https://events.suu.edu/event/the-comedy-of-errors, or go to https://events.suu.edu/group/cpva/calendar to see all upcoming events for the College of Performing and Visual Arts.
