William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” is built upon misunderstandings, mishaps and miscommunications. They punctuate every scene’s twisty nature, demanding precise rigor from adaptations. Christina Anderson’s modern interpretation of the show breathes new life into its aesthetics and staging, yet feels like too much pomp and circumstance for a show that provides so much of both within its bones.
Confusion is key to this show as Antipholus and Dromio search for a long-lost family member, only to get involved with all the wrong people as their circumstances escalate into increasingly slapstick situations of mistaken identity. The Acting Company presents “The Comedy of Errors,” directed by Devin Brain, in repertory with a stellar production of August Wilson’s “Two Trains Running” at American Conservatory Theater, where both productions share one set.
The latter’s 1960s Pittsburgh diner set proves a compelling backdrop for madcap Shakespearean shenanigans, especially with the company adorned in Sarita Fellows’ zany ‘70s nightclub costuming, all of which are pulled from a seemingly endless treasure chest that slides into center stage during the show’s invigorating opening.
As the curtain is raised on the shuttered diner interior, a string of members from the Acting Company emerges from its walls and engages in fights with literal wooden slapsticks pulled from the chest alongside endless flashy articles of clothing and a hot pink copy of “The Comedy of Errors,” which they promptly dig into, fighting over its cast of characters.
Once the roles are set, the ensemble gets to work putting on the show with punchy, modern fourth-wall breaks to ease the audience into the bard’s verse. This is where the wheels come loose from the tracks. These modern touches don’t just brush up against the costumes or the occasional pop culture aside, they overtake the show’s sound design and general atmosphere.
Rainbow-tinged costume design and lighting schemes are poppy at first, but soon come off as more of a distraction than an addition. Hyperactive performance styles dominate the abridged, modified text, and the company garners plenty of belly laughs from their larger-than-life physical comedy, but the speed with which everyone blasts through dialogue lands more incomprehensible than zany. Much is lost during playful stop-and-start moments, complete with record scratch audio, that end up disrupting the flow of the show more than they succeed in getting laughs.
Loud production choices overshadow this ensemble’s talent as their performances, timed and executed to perfection, get drowned out in the abundance of interruptions from the soundboard. When the individual players are allotted time to shine, they dazzle. DeAnna Supplee stands out as Adriana, playing her like an unstoppable freight train packed with conviction and the manpower required to back it up. It helps that she isn’t switching personas as often as the rest of the cast, relegated to on-stage costume changes during fourth-wall breaks.
“The Comedy of Errors” is as entertaining a farce as any, with the last ten minutes of revelation playing out in a triumphant fashion, though a lot feels left off the stage. Restraint in direction juts up against the heavily affected staging and the brash performances within. The bigger picture comes off a little discordant, but then again, this is a comedy of errors, not successes.
“The Comedy of Errors” is now in repertory with “Two Trains Running” at the Toni Rembe Theater.
