KRISTEN SHULTIS
Staff Writer
The amphitheater will come alive with a Shakespeare comedy this week. The Performing Arts Company will put on “Comedy of Errors” in the amphitheater outside Reed Library. This production is about two characters who look for their twins and a series of events occur.
The amphitheater is located between Mason and McEwen Hall. The outdoor venue has much fewer accommodations than the spaces on campus located indoors, causing the company to have to be creative in the staging. Ryan Glynn, senior acting major and director of the production, explained that the show requires some quick paced, as well as surprise, entrances and exits; the amphitheater provides challenges in executing this.
“Since we have no actual stage the audience will see the performers coming down the stairs. Usually these are supposed to be more surprising entrances,” said Glynn. There will be many twists and turns in this.
Performing outdoors also forces the actors to tailor their performances to the venue.
“Also, simply by being outside, we’ve had to work to create a playing style that is very large and broad so we can compete with the vastness of the natural scenery that surrounds us,” said Glynn.
The comedy features many fights, in the form of hand-to-hand combat, between the servants and other characters.
“The performers in this production all have certification through for stage combat, and there is a lot of that that occurs in this play,” Glynn said.
Glynn explains that this was written as a form of pure entertainment.
“I liken the show to a cartoon TV show all the time, in terms of how broad and outrageous it is … but rather than a Saturday morning cartoon, it’s more in the vein of Family Guy or Bob’s Burgers,” said Glynn — “not really a lot of moral high ground.”
The play was written to showcase some of Shakespeare’s actors’ special talents, and it was originally performed in bars. “This gives you a hint at the type of audience that it was originally written for,” said Glynn.
“However there are themes that keep coming up: specifically belongingness,” said Glynn. “Every character in this play is bound to one, or more, other characters. They talk about how their identity is based in other people.”
The play was deeply influenced by Commedia dell’Arte. The Performing Arts Company is also making some facial prosthetics to suggest the commedia masks that are typically worn when performing in the style of Commedia dell’Arte.
“This is one of the more experimental elements of the production, which is important as this is the PAC Spring Experimental,” Glynn said of the prosthetics.
Glynn advises audience members to bring pillows or blankets if they do not wish to sit on the bare concrete seats, and to wear sunscreen as there is no shade. The tickets are “pay what you can” and can be purchased at the ticket office.
“Honestly, the actors go out there and just have a blast. The show is high energy, and crazy funny, and the actors just have a ball with it,” said Glynn. “It’s great to watch them get so enthused by the material.”
This show takes place Friday and Saturday April 26 and 27 in the amphitheater at 2 p.m. with a special pre-show, consisting of a variety of material generated by the actors, at 1:35 p.m.. There will be a similar show taking place during intermission.
“This is in the spirit of the plays of Shakespeare’s time, where going to the theatre was an event, rather than one show,” said Glynn. “Between the acts the actors would play music, juggle, dance or [perform] any sort of exposition of skill. We’ve gone a little bit further with it, but the spirit is still the same. I think the audiences will really enjoy it.”