Theater Reviews

Mar 3, 2001 - Nevada Rep's "Comedy of Errors" More Porter than Shakespeare

By Jack Neal

There's something about Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors'" generic nature that gives directors the notion they can treat the play as a blank page, one on which most any stylistic conceptual fillip can be imposed. In other words, "Comedy of Errors" is like Cole Porters droll song "Anything goes" because anything does seem to go.

The Nevada Repertory Company's take on "The Comedy of Errors" opened Friday night (3/2/2001) at the Redfield Proscenium Theater. Director Jim Bernardi has pulled out all stops - some even more than usual (a quick snapshot of rear male nudity, to name one) - to make Shakespeare's silly comedy about mistaken identity a hit with local fans, although a somewhat subdued one. The usual obligatory local standing ovation for most anything live on stage, and encouraged by two or three people in the front row opening night, was not picked up by the remainder of the audience.

Warm applause was appropriately right for a quickly paced evening (two hours, ten minutes with intermission) that doesn't bother to make too much of a play that's more of a sight gag than a play. Which is, of course - along with much hysterical goings on and theatrical shenanigans, all well and good.

What isn't good enough, in this solid enough production filled with college kids, is the show's take on Shakespeare's poetic words. Kudos to the company for doing Shakespeare, but how difficult it is to romp through this brightly witted, delightful comedy and do full justice to the Bard's words. The consistent failing of the production is its garbled and confused sense of Shakespearean delivery and timing. The lightness of speech which comes from a young cast spins towards the shrill rather than taking on the whimsy of tongue-in-cheek a more sophisticated and mature timbre and elocution would have given Shakespeare's lighthearted farce.

And what a rediculous world "Comedy" is, and silly, perhaps, to worry about such inconsequentials as proper Shakespearean speech; especially when there's so much hilarity from so many quarters in so many of the play's nooks and crannies.

As the play begins and eighteen years after a shipwreck separates identical infant twin boys, the long search to reunite them is about to end in the far-off town of Ephesus, where one of the twins lives with his wife and a nutty servant. This servant, it turns out, is also an identical twin who was separated from his brother in the same shipwreck. To make things more outlandish, Shakespeare has the twins share the same names. With two masters named Antipholus (of Syracuse Gary Metzker, of Ephesus Kevin R. Molina), and two servants named Dromio (of Syracuse John L. Curtis, of Ephesus Rick Northey) none of whom know the others exist, the cross fires of the idiotic play unfolds with silliness and machine gun speed.

Director Bernardi, he stops at nothing, fills the action with everything except the kitchen sink. The two Antipholuses are properly nonplussed but never mute, the two Dromios are properly zany and never, but never still. If the personalities of the two sets of twins had been more distinctly in variation one set from the other, the fun and games could be even more fun and gamely.

Nicole Luchetti is an intriguing Adriana, the wife of the married brother. She plays, or more aptly underplays, the wronged woman rather than the overly shrewish Adriana some productions love to sport. As Luciana Buffy Charlet is a pleasantly sympathetic sister and Michele Freeman makes an alluring coquette as Courtesan, a "friend" of the unhappily married Anthipholus. The remainder of the cast is serviceable to good and very energetic.

The costumes for this eclectic production, designed by Yoko Fujioka, are as eclectic and fun as the show is eclectic and fun, although it's occasionally hard to find the connection between some of the show's eclectic connections both in look and action. The impressive set, designed by Michael Fernbach, and impressive lighting, designed by Larry Walters, enhance everything about the production and give it a freedom of movement that's enviable.

This Nervada Rep presentation may not be as error free as a great "Comedy of Errors" is errorless, but it's free-spirited and breezy and a worthy choice for an enjoyable evening at the theater.

"The Comedy of Errors" can be seen at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 3, and Wednesday through Saturday, March 7-10, and at 1:30 p.m. March 11. All performances are at the Redfield Proscenium Theatre on the University of Nevada Campus, 900 North Virginia Street, Reno. For information call 775-784-6847.