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Arts & Entertainment : Wednesday, May 19, 1999
'Comedy of Errors': The Bard in a '20s setting
by David Schulz
Special to The Seattle Times |
see
the pictures |
The young actors of Greenstage, more typically found roaming
Seattle's parks doing Shakespeare, are performing "The
Comedy of Errors" indoors at the Langston Hughes Cultural
Arts Center. |
The ensemble cast diligently executes the '20s silent-film slapstick
introduced by director Tom Smith while gracefully making their way
through the Elizabethan language.
The play is one of Shakespeare's most improbable. Two sets of identical
twins are separated in a shipwreck. One pair, including the merchant-class
youth Antipholus (Jason Marr) and his manservant, Dromio (Terence
Artz), establish themselves in Ephesus. The other set -also named
Antipholus (Jason Engstrom) and Dromio (Josh Beerman) - hail from
Syracuse.
Error builds upon error when the boys from Syracuse arrive in Ephesus
and are mistaken for the hometown Antipholus and Dromio. Then, at
just the right moment, coincidences reveal the truth and set things
right. It's all a bit hard to swallow.
In fairness, Shakespeare adapted an ancient Roman comedy by Plautus
and cannot be held responsible for the plot. Nevertheless, this
farce shows off the witty sensibility and stage-managing talents
of the author, even though it is generally devoid of high poetics
and human insight. The silliness just keeps rolling.
And the Greenstage company ably stays with the ride. Aside from
the remarkably apt 1920s setting, director Smith shaped the production
with a light touch. Absent is a heavy concept that laboriously reinterprets
the text. Rather, comedy and language take center stage, each delivered
with precision from the mostly twentysomething cast.
In fact, the slapstick may have been delivered with too much precision.
Although well-choreographed, it lacks the spontaneity necessary
to be funny. The slide-whistle and cow-bell sound effects are nice
touches, but here, too, is room for creative improvisation. Surprisingly,
the combination receives few laughs.
But as the cast was no doubt informed backstage, the audience listens.
And, thankfully, there is something to listen to. Greenstage's production,
guaranteed to bring a smile if not a bellyache, makes this comedy-Shakespeare-lite
a nice introduction to the Bard. Catch it at Langston Hughes or
at a Seattle Park this summer.
Copyright © 2001 The Seattle Times Company
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