There’s no denying it– Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors is pretty confusing. Two sets of twins lead to mistaken identities and everyone (characters and audience alike) ends up a little lost. Our production makes things more confusing because almost all of the actors play more than one role. And to add one more layer to the production…all of our actors are playing actors in a theatre troupe that is putting on The Comedy of Errors (anyone who can guess why we made this choice will earn my undying respect for all time). When the theatre opens before each performance, you will have the opportunity to see the troupe warm up, set the stage and may even get a chance to take a picture with them in The Comedy of Errors photo booth.
We want our audience to enjoy this production and have faith that any confusion will ultimately be cleared up. But if you are someone who likes to know what’s going on– we’ve got you covered! Read below to learn more about the characters!
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE and ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
These two are twin brothers who were separated at birth by a sea-storm. Both are wealthy and high-status men. One day Antipholus of Syracuse comes to do business in Ephesus which, unbeknownst to him, is the hometown of his twin-brother. This leads to the central plot of the play– everyone mistaking Antipholus of Syracuse for his brother, Antipholus of Ephesus.
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE and DROMIO OF EPHESUS
These two (surprise!) twin brothers are each servant to their respective Antipholus. Their entire job is to do the bidding of their masters. The Dromios complicate the plot by each interacting with the wrong master, infuriating everyone. The Dromios are repeatedly beaten throughout the play. While the stage violence was played for laughs and set the stage for the slapstick comedy of Charlie Chaplin and the Three Stooges there were, in the original production, some subversive ideas about the complicated relationship between servant and master.
LUCIANA and ADRIANA
Adriana is Antipholus of Ephesus’ wife. She (rightly) suspects him of marital infidelity and is irate about the inequity between the sexes. At the start of the play she is waiting for her husband to come home to eat and ends up bringing the wrong man home to dinner. Luciana is Adriana’s sister and much more content to let power dynamics between the genders alone. Antipholus of Syracuse falls in love with her, although Luciana is convinced her brother-in-law has made a pass at her. Scandal ensues!
EGEON and EMILIA
Egeon is the father of our Antipholi. He raised Antipholus of Syracuse and has been searching for his other son for seven years. We meet him upon his arrival in Ephesus, where the Duke (see below) threatens to put Egeon to death because the towns of Ephesus and Syracuse are mortal enemies. Emilia is the Abbes in the Priory we see during the last scene of the play. She has a secret that saves the day!
THE DUKE and THE COURTESAN
The Duke is the leader of Ephesus. Despite sympathy for Egeon, he has to carry out the order to kill him. Typical for Shakespeare’s comedies, The Duke also restores order and balance by the end of the play. The Courtesan is a wealthy, eccentric woman who is the object of Antipholus of Ephesus’ roving eye. She stumbles upon Antipholus of Syracuse and demands a ring he (actually, his brother) stole from her.
DR. PINCH
After Adriana comes to the conclusion (with help from the Courtesan) that the only excuse for her husband’s behavior is madness, she hires Dr. Pinch to perform an exorcism. It doesn’t work and Ephesus is arrested.
BALTHAZAR, ANGELO, SECOND MERCHANT
Balthazar is the owner of a tavern where Antipholus of Ephesus dines. After Ephesus is locked out of the house, Balthazar implores him to act calmly so he does not ruin his reputation. Angelo is a local merchant who owes money to the Second Merchant. He has made a chain for Antipholus of Ephesus which he accidentally gives to, you guessed it, Antipholus of Syracuse. This leads to more confusion, jealousy, and arrests.
MUSICIANS
While not written into Shakespeare’s play, we’ve added musicians to our production to enhance the wackiness of the story. Some characters have instruments closely connected to their characters, some instruments are used to help make the stage combat evenmore silly. Without a doubt, though, the musicians have grown into a critical part of our telling of the story.
