GET THEE TO PORTLAND
COMEDY OF ERRORS
Directed by Michael Schwartz; written by William Shakespeare
With: Ron Botting, Peter Brown, Kathryn Foster, Mark Honan, Janice O’Rourke,
Kelli Putnam, Paul Romero, Brian Sgambati, Bess Welden, Christian Young,
Cecelia Botting, Charlotte Honan-Warnock, David Glendinning, Michele Lee,
Anthony Martel
At Portland Stage Company in Portland, Maine
From September 23 to October 19, 2003
Reviewed by Laurie Meunier Graves
I to the world am like a drop of water that in the ocean seeks another
drop…
—Antipholus of Syracuse
About ten years ago, my daughters and I had the good sense to volunteer at
The Theater at Monmouth in Monmouth, Maine. We all recognized our good
fortune in having professional summer theater that was not only in the
hinterlands but also close to where we lived. By volunteering, we were able
to see the performances over and over; we took full advantage of this for
all the plays, but especially for The Comedy of Errors, which for
some reason became one of our favorites. I am not sure how many times we saw
it, but by the time the summer was over, we had memorized more than a few of
the lines. Even now, The Comedy of Errors is still a favorite of
mine, and until recently I was sure that no company could do a better job
with that silly play.
However, as good as that long ago production was at The Theater at Monmouth,
I must admit that the current production at Portland Stage Company is even
better. It sustains a level of antic energy that, as David St. Hubbins from
Spinal Tap would put it, could have very easily crossed that “fine line
between stupid and clever.” But miracle of miracles, it does not. Instead,
it has such zest and pizzazz that it kept me (and the rest of the audience)
laughing from start to finish. It seemed to end all too soon, and as soon as
it was over, I began wondering if I could find time to see it again.
What is it about The Comedy of Errors that, despite all the
tomfoolery, makes it such an appealing play? Two sets of twins, one highborn
and the other lowborn, are separated when they are babies. One of
Shakespeare’s favorite twists of fate—a storm at sea—is responsible for this
sad event. There’s the requisite shipwreck, and Egeon, the father of the
highborn twins, escapes with one of his sons, Antipholus, and the
servant-to-be Dromio (the lowborn twin). Egeon’s wife escapes with the other
set of twins, and the sea tears the family apart. However, as the years
pass, Antipholus, who has settled in Syracuse with his father, makes plans
to search for his missing brother. He wants to bring Dromio, his trusty
servant, who has also lost a twin. Egeon gives his reluctant permission, but
when after many years, they don’t return, he sets out after them.
When the play opens, Egeon finds himself in Ephesus, which is hostile
territory. As a merchant from Syracuse, he is banned from Ephesus because of
enmity between each city’s duke. Egeon is captured and sentenced to death.
However, when the duke of Ephesus hears of his sad tale, of the lost twins
and missing sons, he relents just a little. He will give Egeon one day to
find someone who will post bond for him and thereby spare the merchant from
being executed.
Unbeknownst (of course!) to Egeon, Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse have
landed in Ephesus in their search for the missing twins. Unbeknownst to
Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse, there are a second Antipholus and Dromio
who live in the city. Needless to say, Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus look
exactly like Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse. What follows is a merry
confusion of mistaken identities, cross-purposes, recriminations, cheated
merchants, and sword fights. To make things even livelier, Antipholus and
Dromo of Ephesus are married, but the pair from Syracuse are not. Naturally,
the wives connect with the wrong twins. At one point, Antipholus of Syracuse
is certain that “Lapland sorcerers inhabit here,” and his fervent wish is to
leave Ephesus as soon as possible.
Do the knots get untangled? Do the twins find each other? Is Egeon’s life
spared? As this is a comedy rather than a tragedy, I’m sure you already know
the answer to this, even if you are unfamiliar with the play. However, the
journey is so much fun, especially in this production, that it’s well worth
taking, even if the ending is never in doubt.
And, for all its fluff, there are moments in the story that make the play
something more than just a foolish comedy. Those moments revolve around
Dromio and his role as a servant; Adriana, who is married to Antipholus of
Ephesus; and Luciana, Adriana’s sister.
Dromio, who in this production is played by the excellent Christian Young,
alternates between being a loyal companion and a class clown. However, he is
all too often beaten for his supposed transgressions, which are in fact
merely a case of mistaken identity. While these beatings are humorous and
were no doubt originally intended to be so, the viewer can’t help but
sympathize with the hapless Dromio, who always seems to be in the wrong
place at the wrong time, and because of his low status, is punished for
this. We may laugh at the drubbing Dromio receives, but as is so often the
case with Shakespeare’s fools and miscreants, we also feel that the
punishment goes too far.
Adriana and Luciana, wonderfully played by Kathryn Foster and Janice
O’Rourke, are really the only characters who have any depth. Adriana is at
first presented as the shrewish wife who rails against her husband’s
absences and thoughtless ways. However, it’s not long before we realize that
she possess a self-honesty that balances her shrewish nature. For all her
complaining, she loves her husband and readily admits it. When an abbess
tricks Adriana into admitting that she is indeed a nagging wife, Adriana
does not deny it. Instead, she freely acknowledges it. In the end, Adriana’s
rants come to seem like an open expression of outrage over her lower status
as a woman and a wife.
Luciana, on the other hand, is pliant and easygoing. At first, she appears
to be far superior to her nagging sister, but Shakespeare gives us a scene
that reveals Luciana’s dishonest side, and suddenly her good nature seems
less attractive. Despite this flaw, Luciana does remain loyal to her sister
and defends her against outside insults.
From the set to the acting to the pacing, Portland Stage Company’s
production of Comedy of Errors is nearly perfect. The quality of the
acting is so fine that it seems unfair to single out any of the performances
for special notice. However, I feel it would be remiss not to comment on
Brian Sgambati’s portrayals of Antipholus of Ephesus and Syracuse. His
performance adds luster to an already sparkling production. My husband
compared him with Jim Carrey, and there is indeed a resemblance between the
two. In addition, Mr. Sgambati has a similar talent for physical humor,
which is fortunately kept under control and is therefore truly funny. (I
wish the same could be said for Mr. Carrey.) Mr. Sgambati is on stage much
of the time, and to a large extent, it is his energy that provides the
momentum of the play.
Therefore, if you are reading this and are in driving distance, get thee to
Portland, Maine and see Comedy of Errors. It is well worth the trip.
