Ah, Spring. That glorious time of year when you watch nature wake up, one flower at a time. Snowdrops here, crocuses there, then the dandelions, the magnolias, the cherry and plum tree blossoms.
I mean that’s all well and good, but what about we toss in a pratfall? A good dose of slapstick, or even a fully weaponized lollipop into the mix?
Now, we’re talking.
The American Shakespeare Center rounds out its Spring 2025 repertory with the premiere of its third production, The Comedy of Errors. ASC veteran Chris Johnston takes the helm as director and has created one of the zaniest, wackiest takes on the Bard’s beloved comedy you’ll ever see. After an understandably gradual lead-in (the exposition takes a little time), you’d best fasten your seat belts for the rest.
The play is set in Ancient Ephesus (the show cribs heavily from the Roman playwright Plautus), and we see the chaos that erupts when two pairs of identical twins, separated at birth, suddenly encounter each other on the same streets, in the same town, and with the same cast of supporting characters — a spurned wife, a goldsmith looking for his pay, etc. — chasing after them, one after the other.
It doesn’t help matters that one set of twins, both named Antipholus, are masters, while the other set, both named Dromio, are servants. So you’ve got two masters, two servants, constantly combining and recombining in a series of misadventures that end — well, it’s a comedy, so it ends well, but there’s a helluva lot of glorious schtick to be had before we come in for a happy end.
For fans of the ASC repertory, perhaps the biggest delight is you get to see actors stretching their talents over three contrasting shows, each one utterly unique. Rasell Holt, the earnest Friedrich Baer in Little Women and Edgar (aka Poor Tom) in King Lear, gives full rein to his talents for physical comedy as the clueless Antipholus of Syracuse, the freshly-arrived traveler who is instantly mistaken for his already-married, identical Ephesian twin. Constantly harassed by people who know him but whom he’s never seen before in his life, he relies on his Dromio — or whoever looks like him — to get him out of trouble.
Meanwhile, Joe Mucciolo complements his turn as the charming Laurie in Little Women and the evil bastard Edmund in Lear by playing the worldly-wise, man-about-town Antipholus of Ephesus. When we first meet him, he’s clearly intending to dine at his mistress’ house, drawn by the distinct aromas from her kitchen (pasta puttanesca, perhaps?). Mucciolo is utterly shameless when it comes to scene-stealing, and the predicaments he finds himself in are many — some of which he had coming to him, but that’s another story.
Summer England, memorable as Jo in Little Women and the witty fool in Lear, embraces her inner clown as Dromio of Syracuse, trying to do whatever his master tells him to do, and failing to understand why the master’s orders are all over the place. One of the great running jokes here is her Dromio’s taste for lollipops — although I would advise the tender-hearted to look the other way as she wields it, because her sweet tooth has a bite to it, and the Lollipop Guild would most certainly not approve. (And yes, lollipops are harmed in this production; you have been duly advised.)
On occasion, you’ll have the chance to catch some up-and-coming stars of the stage who come on as understudies. Taking the place of Raven Lorraine, on the night I was there, Becca Westbrook proved exuberantly audacious as Dromio of Ephesus, the servant of the philandering Antipholus twin, who like the boss is married (as Dromio of Syracuse discovers by accident, much to his shock). The penchant for slapstick is strong in her, and she’ll keep you in stitches, when she’s not dodging the wrath of both Antipholi (I swear that’s a word).
In terms of real show-stoppers, I’m of two minds here, with two actors submitted for your consideration: Charlene Hong White, whose role as Beth in Little Women gave a hint of her comedic side (while her Cordelia in Lear kept her comedic talents well hid), puts paid to the old dictum “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” As the Ephesian Antipholus’ wife, Adriana, it’s clear she’d skewer you in broad daylight with nothing but her tongue — and you’d have it coming, too. And when it comes to eccentric locals, Angela Iannone’s turns as Angelo the goldsmith and Dr. Pinch the exorcist are case studies in swivel-tongued chaos. Iannone’s gift for twisted dialects (the actor with a thousand voices, she) and for delivery of the most improbably pronounced English words are on full display, a masterclass in comedy if there ever was one.
The cast regales us with a few good tunes as well, with Blake Henri (who plays our Duke of Ephesus, but also a Courtesan in full-feathered regalia) giving Jamestown Revival’s “Fur Coat Blues” a workout, and Rasell giving us a fine hip-hop interlude, as part of a mashup of “It Takes Two” and “Made for Me,” complete with a shoutout to Bill Withers’ “Two of Us.” The Georgia Satellites’ classic “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” will have you singing along too; but not to be outdone, Christopher Seiler (our long-suffering dad Egeus here) premieres his own song, “The Girl’s Alright,” which has the same infectious chorus riff, very well done indeed.
As Mother Nature comes into her own, so does the American Shakespeare Center. The current repertory is full of surprises, star turns, and with “The Comedy of Errors” a comedy that will leave you begging for mercy, the laughs come so hard and so fast. Time to head for the hills and see something truly dazzling!
Running Time: Two hours and 5 minutes, including one intermission.
The Comedy of Errors plays through April 20, 2025, in repertory with Little Women (through April 19) and King Lear (through April 19), presented by American Shakespeare Center at the Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 South Market Street, Staunton, VA. For tickets (starting at $36), call the box office at (540) 851-3400 or purchase them online. ASC also offers a Local Rush deal of 50% off tickets on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Learn more here.
Cast and artistic team credits for The Comedy of Errors are online here (scroll down).
Age requirement: 7 and up.
The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
Directed by Chris Johnston
SEE ALSO:
‘Little Women’ at American Shakespeare Center is a heartfelt story for us all (review by Andrew Walker White, February 14, 2025)
A ‘King Lear’ both upbeat and dark at American Shakespeare Center (review by Andrew Walker White, February 24, 2025)