Shakespeare. The name can send shivers up any studentís spine. You can never understand the language, the stories are always depressing, and you have to read hundreds of pages of it every night. The thought brings up visions of old black and white movies, thousands of lines of text and crowded, dusty opera theaters. The Bard does not always† relate well to college students, or anyone living in the 21st centuy, for that matter.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance Season Ellison has a different idea. This fall, she is directing Shakespeareís ìA Comedy of Errors.” Ellison aims to bring new life to the old script. Her compelling, humorous concept is far from boring.
One of Shakespeareís shortest dramas, ìA Comedy of Errors” is a clever little play full of mistaken identities, wordplay and physical comedy. It follows the stories of two pairs of long lost twins. One pair, Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse, accidentally arrives in Ephesus, where their identical brothers, also named Antipholus and Dromio, reside. The Syracusans meet the family of their twins, and they are mistaken for their brothers. Wild mishaps ensue as the characters fumble through the ìenchanted” city.
This is hardly dry, dead literature. Ellisonís interpretation of ìA Comedy of Errors” is also far from boring. During the summer, she met with the design team to create a dynamic and engaging concept. They eventually decided to perform the play in the Italian style of commedia dellíarte. This style is a form of improvisational theater from 16th century Italy. The players, usually in a travelling troupe, often performed without props and acted with exaggerated movements and emotions. Ellison plans to incorporate this style into her production. She plans on using simple sets and directing the actors to let the audience know that they are acting. This concept of self-awareness pokes fun at the mystery of the theater and gives the play an extra comedic dimension.
The cast of ìA Comedy of Errors” is made up of 18 students. There are many first-years and a few upperclassmen in the cast. Many of these students, however, are not theater majors. When asked how the cast responded to the difficult Shakespearean language, Ellisonís outlook was bright. As with any dramatic production, the cast studied their lines for a week. They removed the punctuation from the script and worked until they could say their lines naturally.† Although the language is at first difficult to understand, the actors met the challenge bravely. They are currently in rehearsal to perfect their performance.
ìA Comedy of Errors” promises to be intriguing, exciting and hilarious. The play will be performed in Freedlander Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 22 and Saturday, Oct. 24 at 8:15 p.m. If you choose to watch the play instead of that weekís episode of Gossip Girl, you will surely not be disappointed. It could even give you a new appreciation for Shakespeareís work.