The Comedy of Errors! by William Shakespeare

ASF 2015-16 Study Materials for • • • ( Same Face, Same Name, Two Guys? It Must Be… THE COMEDY OF ERRORS! BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Director Greta Lambert Study Materials written by Susan Willis Set Design Robert F. Wolin ASF Dramaturg Costume Design Elizabeth Novak [email protected] Lighting Design Tom Rodman Contact ASF: 1/800/241-4273, www.asf.net ASF 2015-16/ 1 The COMEDY of ERRORS by William Shakespeare WELCOME TO THE COMEDY OF ERRORS Shakespeare's The Comedy of Characters in this production: Errors was long thought to be his Visitors to Ephesus: earliest comedy because its source Egeon, a merchant from was a common Latin school text. More Syracuse recently, however, critics have begun Antipholus of Syracuse, the twin to credit the sophistication of its verse, son Egeon is seeking, the the interplay of its relationships, and its one he saved [A/S] Biblical allusions, so that now it is often Dromio of Syracuse, his seen as a precursor to A Midsummer servant, a lone twin [D/S] Night's Dream. Whenever in the early to mid-1590s one dates the play, it is Residents of Ephesus: the product of a confident dramatist who Solinus, Duke of Ephesus knows how to use character, staging, Antipholus of Ephesus, raised and emotional build to maximum comic The Dromios at the door (Jeffrey de in Corinth, unaware he is a effect, not to mention jokes, physicality, and Picciotto and Chris Roe, ASF, 2009) long-lost twin [A/E] sheer, ebullient high sprits. Adriana, his wife Shakespeare creates a hybrid with The & WELCOME TO OUR OUR Luciana, her sister Comedy of Errors, taking a Roman street T Our love of Shakespeare runs deep Dromio of Ephesus, their farce of mistaken identity and wrapping it in at ASF, and we are happy to share it servant, the other long-lost a romance, the kind of tale the Renaissance twin [D/E] adored. The physicality of farce entails comic with schools across Alabama and our Nell, another servant beatings, outrages to dignity, lots of neighboring states, because there is just nothing like the powerful effect of seeing First Merchant banter, and a very fast pace, culminating Shakespeare live. Angelo, a goldsmith in a chase, while the romance relies on This version of Shakespeare's play A Courtesan adventures, long-lost family members, trims The Comedy of Errors to fit a one- Doctor Pinch, a conjurer mishaps, threats, and a final reunion. hour class period while keeping the great Emilia, abbess of the priory, the He gives us the best of both comic characters, the verse, and the compelling long-lost wife of Egeon worlds in a play filled with laughter and comic action. Directed by ASF's Greta An Officer lively action—a great way to see what this master of comedy can concoct! Lambert, herself a renowned Shakespeare [the text also has two more actress, the touring show features eight merchants and another female servant] actors chosen from New York auditions who join the ASF company for the 2014- 15 season. Setting: Ephesus These eight will perform all the roles in Comedy of Errors, doubling or tripling roles just as Shakespeare's own company "I see we still did meet did—some even sharing a role! They bring each other's man, you a complete theatre with set, costumes, And I was ta'en for him, props and actors in a van and a trailer. In and he for me, addition, we offer your students a series of And thereupon these workshops following the play, so they can errors are arose." work with the actors on theatre skills and Shakespeare's language. We're excited to —Comedy of Errors, 5.1 be headed your way with the Bard! The touring company: front: Kayla Eisenberg, Lilly Wilton, Noelia Antweiler; rear: John Carter, Christopher Lemieux, Parke Fech, Andrew Dahreddine, Michael Quattrone ASF 2015-16/ 2 The COMEDY of ERRORS by William Shakespeare SHAKESPEARE'S FARCE: FROM ROME TO EPHESUS Classical Elements • Thus the misbehavior which is only • The most notable classical aspect of threatened in Shakespeare actually the comedy is its unity of time/place/ occurs in the Plautus, and the ending action—all the events take place in does not include the restoration of the Online texts one day in one place. Only this play marriage but only the reunion (and The Brothers Menaechmi at: and The Tempest have this feature. escape) of scheming brothers. http://www.perseus.tufts. Shakespeare's Source In Amphitryon: edu/hopper/text?doc= • The basis of Comedy of Errors's twin • The god Jupiter lusts after Alcmena, Perseus%3Atext%3A plot is The Brothers Menaechmus wife of a general away in battle, so 1999.02.0101%3Aact by the early Roman playwright, he and Mercury show up disguised %3D1 Plautus (c. 254-184 BCE). His play, as the general and his servant Sosia Amphitruo (Act 4, scene 2, Amphitryon, gives us the door scene. to seduce the general's wife. But the the door scene) at: • Plautus can seem harsh and bitter; general and his servant also show up http://www.perseus.tufts. Shakespeare usually softens the at the locked outer door, and the two edu/hopper/text?doc= action look-alike servants argue through it. Perseus%3Atext%3A In the Brothers Menaechmus: • Shakespeare gives us no text-based 1999.02.0092%3Aact • The twin separation and reason for infidelity; he advocates love. He even %3D4%3Ascene%3D2 the shared name is very clear adds Luciana, so A/S can have a girl, • Only the two masters are twins; there too. is only one servant. The hometown Even Terence? Menaechmus steals his wife's clothes • Another classical Roman writer of to give his mistress, the courtesan, comedy is Terence, a slave who wrote and promises to dine there with his romances. The split family and last friend, a "parasite" (a moocher; both minute reunion are his kind of comedy. are typical supporting characters in Roman comedy). For Discussion: Comparing Plautus Remains of the Roman • Instead, however, the twin who has and Shakespeare theatre at Jerash in the Near just landed in Epidamnum (where the Note: Any part of The Brothers East, showing the three doors of action is set) meets her and dines Menaechmus offers a good basis for the classical stage. All action in comparative analysis. Roman plays occurred in the there and thus starts the mayhem. Both men are greedy and conniving. • Plautus uses one set of twins; street. Shakespeare's play uses Shakespeare uses two (that is The Phoenix (A/E's home), the • In the end, the husband divorces Amphitryon's contribution)—what are Porpentine (courtesan's), and the his wife to go traveling with his twin Priory, all associated with women. brother, and the servant is freed. the implications for comedy? • Compare how each play uses the husband twins, the wives, the doctors, the Roman father vs. the Ephesian Duke, the courtesans, the cooks, the lunch guests, the endings, the tone of the action. The character sets afford rich differences in how each play is handled. • What is the attitude of Roman comedy if Plautus is typical (he was certainly famous and revered in Rome); what is the English Renaissance attitude toward comedy if Shakespeare is typical? What do the plays show us of each society and its values? ASF 2015-16/ 3 The COMEDY of ERRORS by William Shakespeare COMMEDIA: ANOTHER STOP ON THE WAY TO EPHESUS Troupes of Italian actors toured • The style of the play was fast and Renaissance Europe and England sharing physical; the routines frequently their distinctive syle of farcical comedy involved stage combat, acrobatics, known as commedia dell'arte. This and dance. The characters postured comedy was improvised by a company and preened on stage, taunting and of professionals rather than taken from scheming to get money or the girl—or, memorized texts. Shakespeare may have preferably, both. seen such a troupe of Italian players in • Specific comic routines were called London, for he certainly understands their lazzi (pronounced laht-zee; singular, style of comedy and reflects it in his most lazzo), and many still survive, such fully farcical play, The Comedy of Errors. as the standard banana peel on the The background of a Jacques A commedia dell'arte performance floor, the pie in the face, the foot out Callot sketch, showing a involves: to trip, and the picked pocket (the commedia marketplace stage • the use of stock characters in set Renaissance's favorite was the enema COMMEDIA TYPES comic situations, often raucous, lazzo). bawdy, or physically graphic. • Another distinctive aspect of • within a planned order of events, the commedia dell'arte is that many of players would improvise on stage, the characters wore half-masks with playing to the crochets of the charac- exaggerated noses and eyebrows, ter opposite them and to the audi- fitting for characters whose traits ence. are themselves exaggerated. Each • Standard props were slapsticks and character came from a specific part of wooden swords, so comic beatings Italy, spoke with that accent, and had and duels were common features. identifiable traits and foibles modeled • the action had to be quick and on early Greek and Roman comedies. compelling to hold its marketplace Commedia troupes were often families audience and to open its wallets, centered on a talented husband/wife team, because the company passed the hat and the roles were passed down generation to generation along with comic business Larnelle Foster, William Brock, and rather than selling tickets. Johathan Gibson in ASF's 2004 and routines. MFA commedia production Commedia's Dottore Pantalone—old, miserly, Three clever commedia servants: l to r: the ominous Brighella, (Doctor) lecherous the aesthetic Pedrolino/Pierrot, and the ever-hungry Arlecchino/ Harlequin, in his rags The COMEDY of ERRORS by William Shakespeare THE ROMANCE TRADITION Shakespeare is a good theatrical chef; • Shakespeare demonstrates his he knows you mix a bit of salt in the sweet.

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