April 22-28, 2004

theater

The Comedy of Errors

by David Anthony Fox

"Brush up your Shakespeare," counseled Cole Porter, the second-greatest dramatic poet in the English language -- and Lantern Theater's The Comedy of Errors takes the advice to heart. In fact, director Charles McMahon and a group of eight splendid actor-comics (their gifts run from verse interpretation to pants-dropping slapstick) go far beyond mere brush-up. The resulting romp is a Comedy that feels scrubbed clean of cliches, energized and often delightful.

Part of the reason that McMahon's circuslike approach works -- mostly -- is that Comedy, whose plot is based on a Roman play and was hoary by the time Shakespeare got hold of it, is the Bard at his broadest. Though there are moments of genuine seriousness, what audiences mostly remember of Comedy is a steeplechase involving two sets of identical male twins (one pair acts as servants to the other pair), two sisters unrelated to either twin-set and just about every misconnection that the mathematical possibilities allow.

The mistaken identities and romantic befuddlements show off McMahon's ensemble cast (several of whom play multiple roles) at their zany best. These comic bits -- often underscored with rim shots and double- and triple-takes -- have rarely seemed funnier, and the frantic final plot tie-up is breathtakingly virtuosic. I also admired McMahon's willingness to play loose with the language, even incorporating some old vaudeville patter to freshen the script.

Still, it's fair to point out that not everything in Comedy is comic -- and that there are times when we need to see the storytelling points scored with more clarity. McMahon calls his approach "commedia dell'arte," but really it's all over the map -- which is not always helpful. The twin servants are indeed costumed commedia-style, and in their masks they look exactly alike. The noble twins, on the other hand, are costumed identically (not commedia this time, but rather like Bing Crosby at a Technicolor golf tournament) -- but bear no real resemblance to each other. Comedy is quite confusing enough, even in a consistent visual world!

Don't let these small quibbles keep you away from Lantern's Comedy: Far more is blissful, and Philadelphia is a lucky city indeed to have eight such marvelous performers -- Aaron Cromie, Jared Delaney, Lee Ann Etzold, Amy Gorbey, Dave Jadico, Christie Parker, Geoff Sobelle and William Zielinski -- creating merriment together. (Speaking of Zielinski, whom I've seen many times before: This was my first experience of his haunting, James Taylor-like singing voice. Where has he been hiding it all these years?)

The Comedy of Errors

Through May 9, Lantern Theater Company at St. Stephen’s Theater, 10th and Ludlow sts., 215-829-9002