This summer Dartmouth welcomes into its community Mike Alfreds, an esteemed director and a man who has inspired a talented cast to turn one of Shakespeare's less popular plays into a boisterous, combnj,ic romp.
The fruit of intelligent effort, "The Comedy of Errors" exposes the audience to a tangled plot that snares even the audience, the hilarious antics of a group of excitable and easily misguided characters, and a poetic aesthetic not often associated with the English language.
"Comedy" details a day in the merchant port of Ephesus during which a serious case of mistaken identities seriously stirs up the lives of those involved before resolving itself to its enlightened, comic end. Antipholus and Dromio, a master and servant pair from Syracuse played by Jeff Withers '02 and Kristjan Thorgeirsson '02, find themselves mistaken for the Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus (Ben Weaver '03 and Cliff Campbell '04).
Throw in Adriana (Alexis McGuinness '03), a wife despairing over her absent husband, Egeon (Tom Dugdale '03), an unlucky traveler with an unlucky past and a handful of other characters confused by the day, and what results is a lusty melee of indulgent fun.
The best thing about "Comedy" (and the reason why this reviewer will see it again) is the acting. This play is the culmination of a rigorous master class on acting, and it shows. From the opening scenes one is struck by the energy and harmony of the cast, two elements distinguished by the fact that almost no movement is choreographed -- for each performance the actors merely let their characters interact with each other and wait to see what patterns and vignettes precipitate.
At times the movement becomes wild, and suddenly this group of people madly dashes and tumbles across the stage. Quickly they may regroup in a visually pleasing tableau (mostly due to the varying heights of the cast members and the organic normalcy with which they invade each other's space). The performances cannot help but be fresh and electric.
Also, it's awfully funny, and the humor can be bawdy, intelligent or extremely physical. The cast is to be commended for making the language its servant and really finding the beauty inherent in Shakespeare's poetry. From Egeon's opening monologue one is immediately seduced and even enraptured by these plain English words that have somehow become so beautiful. Just hearing the play is a treat.
Regarding the performances, those of Withers, Thorgeirsson, McGuinness, Dugdale, and Marina McClure '04 stand out from an ensemble of differing yet always adequate talent. One should be especially attuned to the adorable on-stage bond between Thorgeirsson and Withers and the passionate (and incredibly comic) ravings of McGuinness.
There is a negative side to a production so heavily concentrated on performance; namely, other elements do not hold their own in comparison.
Even though they cleverly blend with the undulating shapes and colors of the set, the costumes never really stop being awkward to look at (perhaps the robes are too large and not graceful enough.)
The set design is rather disappointing and prohibits the level of intellectual meditation that great sets elicit from an audience.
Perhaps it would have worked better had the backstage been kept in darkness, yet the lighting allows the distracting presence of the physical theater to impede upon one's appreciation of the action and objects on the stage.
Still, this production of "The Comedy of Errors" is all about the acting. Definitely go see it, and prepare to be swallowed by the beauty and humor of Shakespeare awakened by a group of fun, intelligent Dartmouth students.
