It is, of course, axiomatic that comedy is hard. And farce is harder. And physical comedy is hardest of all. And if the language is Shakespearean, the difficulties are downright daunting. But Marin Shakespeare Company has never been afraid to take risks.
Adapted and directed by the great Michael Gene Sullivan, with a set by the esteemed Nina Ball, and costumes by the ever reliable Tammy Berlin, this “Comedy of Errors” would seem to be a sure bet. But alas, the comedy gods are fickle, and on opening night, this Comedy was a cake that failed to rise.
The basic directorial concept was pleasing: what if a troupe of woman actors (banned from the Elizabethan stage) had gone rogue and taken over the production, finally having a chance to strut their stuff? What would they do? They’d pull out all the stops.
The opening is delightful, in which company members read from condemnations of women in theatre, dasting form Elizabethan times. It is funny and sets the tone.
Difficulties arise when everyone of those proverbial stops are pulled. The staging is totally reliant upon physical comedy that demands high speed and precise execution. This sort of work should be performed at such a rate that the audience cannot anticipate what will happen next. We should be laughing hard at one gag even as the next three gags are coming at us. Unfortunately, the company never accelerates to the necessary speed. The movements are precisely executed, but only half as fast as they need to be, as far as I can tell. This is a fatal flaw. The comedy never fails to develop momentum and the audience sits in silence. It’s comedy hell for the actors and audience alike.
Every actor who plays in a comedy has had this excruciating experience. But it is also true that what drags one night may hit the mark on the next. It may be that the company was just a bit under rehearsed.
That seems likely, because, about halfway through the second act, there is a fight scene, full of outrageous outside-the-box humor, making fun of Shakespearean tragedy, played at break neck speed and ending with the entire cast dying hilariously, as in the finale of Hamlet. As staged by the ubiquitous fight choreographer Dave Maier it is a comeduc gem, and the opening night audience, silent up until then, exploded with relieved laughter and enthusiastic applause. Compared to what came before, it was the show that might have been.
The opening of this production was delayed for a week due to health problems among the cast (all of whom have recovered well). The theatre gods were not entirely kind on opening night.
But, it may well be that in the coming performances, the comedy will catch up with the company vision, and a good time will be had by all. If you want to attend, give it a whirl. You might see a miracle! And the fight scene in the second half will not disappoint.
“The Comedy of Errors” continues at Marin Shakespeare Company in San Rafael through September 15, 2024. For further information click here.
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Rating: **1/2 (For an explanation of TheatreStorm’s rating system, click here.)
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“The Comedy of Errors” by William Shakespeare, adapted by Michael Gene Sullivan. Produced by Marin Shakespeare Company. Director: Michael Gene Sullivan. Set Designer: Nina Ball. Lighting Designer: Jon Tracy. Costume Designer: Tammy Berlin. Sound Designer: Ben Euphrat. Co-Properties Artisan: Nia Jacobs. Co-Properties Artisan and Object Animation: Rebecca Pingree. Fight Director: Dave Maier. Dramaturg: Aejay Mitchell. Intimacy Goldfield: Intimacy Director.
Ensemble Cast (Alphabetical Order):
Wilma Bonet. Keiko Shimosato Carreiro. Emily Cummings. Valerie Fachman. Elizabeth Jones. Asha Bagal Kelly. Charisse Loriaux. Rebecca Pingree.
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