STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK
What happens when two sets of twins are running amuck?
Hilarity, misidentification, and “The Comedy Errors.”
Sun Valley Shakespeare Festival will stage “The Comedy of Errors”--one of Shakespeare’s most popular works—this week and next in Ketchum’s Forest Service Park.
The comedy will start at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Aug. 15-16; Monday through Wednesday, Aug. 19-21, and Friday and Saturday, Aug. 23-24. Tickets are available at www.laughingstocktheatre.org or at 208-721-7048.
“It’s a really funny play—we did it once before,” said Kathy Wygle. “A classic play of mistaken identity, which always makes for a good time.”
The play opens with Egeon, a merchant from Syracuse who has been caught trespassing in Ephesus—his life is on the line if he cannot pay ransom.
His is a sad story. His twin sons were separated as babies by a shipwreck. One was picked up by a ship and taken to Ephesus where the play takes place, and the other was picked up by a ship headed to Syracuse.
Two twins named Dromio, whom Egeon purchased as servants for his sons, were also separated as infants in that same shipwreck.
Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse left to search for their long-lost twin brothers. And, when they didn’t return, Egeon set out to find them.
They land in Ephesus after Egeon has been taken prisoner. And their appearance leavse a goldsmith completely bewildered, a police officer befuddled, the townspeople scratching their heads and even themselves confused.
The play has a wealth of memorable characters, including Adriana, a melodramatic woman who has been scorned by her carousing husband. A modern woman for her time, she demands respect and is coddled by her demure sister Luciana, who is in love with the idea of love.
Adding to the fun: Flying fish, a nun, a Duchess and an exorcist.
Of course, in the end, everything ends happily ever after with all debts settled, all slights forgiven.
“Shakespeare is always so eloquent—and he writes about humanity,” said Karen Nelson.
Patsy Wygle plays the Duchess, riding in on Aria, a registered paint horse belonging to Tyler and Jen Petersen and escorted by the Duchess’s pages Devon and Gracie Petersen.
Sean Cleary and Marshall Thurman play the Antipholus brothers. And Robby and Paul Rescigno play the Dromio brothers.
Tess Makena plays the longsuffering Adriana while Megan Mahoney plays her pious sister Luciana. Karen Nelson plays the Abbess; Max Albright, a page, and Dean Cerutti, the officer.
Joel Morello, Miles Cooper, Robert Winstead, Lauren Berkman and Matt Musgrove round out the rest of the cast while Colton Pometta serves as director.
The set was constructed by Joseph Lavigne, Thomas Andrews and David Rau. And Jessica Bobillot of Portland, Ore., designed the costumes.
“I like Shakespeare plays because you get to be outside,” said Mahoney. “And this one is fun because it has a lot of physical comedy, as well as word comedy.”
“It’s exciting with lots of action, lots of slapping and knocking people down,” said Cerutti. “And it’s a very talented cast.”