The Arts / Reviews

Theater review: Genesius Guild's 'Comedy' contains few errors

By Melissa Coulter | Wednesday, June 25, 2008 | () comments

Genesius Guild’s production of “The Comedy of Errors” brought back memories. This early work by Shakespeare was my debut on the Augustana College stage under the direction of Jeff Coussens.

Coussens also directs this production, and, if memory serves me, he’s using the same play book from nine years ago. But if you have a show staged in a way that works, why fix what isn’t broken? This tale of fractured fortunes is remarkably cohesive.

The play begins with this improbable premise: Two sets of identical twins — one the master, one the servant — are separated at birth. A few decades later, they end up in the same town, wearing identical clothing and, as luck would have it, they have the same names.

The backstory is told by Aegeon (Pat Flaherty), a merchant who, in a shipwreck, lost his wife, his sons and the twin servants he had purchased for them. A Syracusian, he is forbidden to enter Ephasus and must pay a fine for breaking the law or be sentenced to death. As he tells Duke Solinus (Bob Hanske) of his familial woes, the balcony window becomes a puppet theater, a brilliant idea for conveying such a long and complicated speech.

The cast is one of the strongest I’ve seen perform on the Lincoln Park stage in recent seasons. The two servants named Dromio, Jonathan Gregoire and Kevin Wender, are perfect mirrors of each other’s body language and vocal tics with their matching walks and giggles. Wender gets to deliver some of Shakespeare’s best insults and bawdy talk as he rants about the kitchen wench, Luce, (Lisa Pilgrim). Gregoire’s hand puppet “quothing” of a run-in with Antipholus of Syracuse (Neil Friberg) also fetches laughs.

The similarity between the Antipholi ends with their costumes (by Ellen Dixon) and cartoonish handlebar moustaches. Antipholus of Ephasus (Michael Schmidt) is more of an evil twin to Friberg’s Antipholus of Syracuse. Both Schmidt’s frantic raving and Friberg’s laidback credulity are amusing.

Complicating the plot further is Antipholus of Ephasus’ shrewish wife, Adriana, played full-tilt by Molly McLaughlin. When she mistakenly drags Antipholus of Syracuse home from the market for dinner, he attempts to woo her sister, Luciana (Grace Pheiffer). Pheiffer adds delightful quirkiness to Luciana’s virginal propriety. Her horror flick scream of “God, for thy mercy! They are loose again!” was the funniest line interpretation of the night.

Michael King has some great televangelist bits as the charlatan Pinch. Michael Miller gives the sober Angelo a dignified presence. And Karen Riffey, as Aemilia, the long-lost-mom-turned-Abbess, gives a sharp-tongued lecture on nagging wives.

The remaining ensemble members all pull their weight and look like they’re having fun on the neon-colored set.

A few hundred people enjoyed a polished opening-night performance as well as Saturday’s perfect, 75-degree weather. The performers’ clear delivery and Coussens’ keen storytelling passed the 6-year-old test. My daughter was completely engaged for the not-quite-two-hour show and followed the action without a hiccup.

Keep your fingers crossed for good weather and take the family to see this free production in the park this weekend. Performances of “The Comedy of Errors” are 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Bring some bug spray and a seat cushion for a relaxing night of theater under the oaks.

IF YOU GO

What: “The Comedy of Errors” presented by Genesius Guild

Where: Lincoln Park, 11th Avenue and 40th Street, Rock Island

When: 8 p.m. Saturday, June 28, and Sunday, June 29

How much: Free

Information: genesius.org

Contact Melissa Coulter at (563) 383-2243 or mcoulter@qctimes.com. Comment on this review at qctimes.com.