Comedy of Errors: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quad
Alex and Jonathan finally get some much-needed work with a difficult prop: 19 feet of "sausage."
Did I mention comedies are challenging? I think I may have shared that sentiment before . . . hmmm. Well, it's true. It's always fascinating to watch bits and characters develop, giggling to myself, while on the inside I'm a ticking time-bomb of panic. Will ANYONE think this is funny except me!?! When comedies come together, it's something magical. When they don't . . . the result is more tragic than the last scene of Hamlet. So many things have to go right in order for the recipe to work - timing, characterizations, believability, and energy are all required of each performer at every single moment. This can be a difficult thing for ensembles to grasp - particularly when the cast is a mix of more and less seasoned performers. The scariest thing for a typical control-freak director such as myself is that so much of it is out of my hands.
Luciana (Brittany Potter) takes a ride on the ass, Dromio S. (Chris Peterman).
We have spent the past six weeks working with text, developing characters, and constructing a bawdy burlesque of a very "Jersey" world. Many of the elements are coming together effectively - the utter goofy weirdness of the world, the final scene of the play, the contrast between Antipholus E. and Antipholus S. Many of the moments are actually very funny. We have worked the bits into a bizarre comic-violent concoction that fits effectively into this cartoonish version of a Shakespearean comedy. Several elements, however, are still a little troublesome.
The opening beat of the show is a HUGE challenge. Quite frankly, the play starts slowly and gets faster, funnier, and more dynamic as the story unfolds. Part of the problem with the script is that the first scene is all plot exposition. The set up for Shakespeare's joke that there just happen to be two sets of identical twins (both sets bearing the same name) roaming about the same town unbeknownst to each other takes quite a bit of explanation before the actual comedy can happen. Some of the funniest stuff in the show is the increasing frustration the Dromios face as they alternately run into different masters and receive conflicting orders. The script as a story only works after a lengthy explanation of how this all came to be. In this, the actor playing Aegeon has a huge responsibility - capturing the audience's attention and sympathy in the opening beats in a dense explanation of his situation.
Dromio E. (Alex Johnston) attempts to explain himself to a skeptical Adriana (Erin Wallerstein) and Luciana (Brittany Potter).
I feel that we have set up the context fairly effectively. The "duke" Solinus is here a mafia don in Ephesus, controlling the city with a cigar in hand. He is not sympathetic to Aegeon's long-winded explanation of how he ended up in Ephesus. Instead his two flirtatious, big-haired girlfriends appeal on behalf of the old man. By breaking up Solinus' lines and giving some to the created characters of "Angela" and "Zara" (played by the actresses that later play Angelo and Balthazar) and having them weep and whine for the broken-hearted Aegeon, the scene has a degree more energy than it does on the page. But that said, it's still a difficult prospect and ultimately will succeed or fail based on the level of energy and focus the performers can give the scene to bring the audience into the world.
Dromio S. (Chris Peterman) becomes enchanted by the wiles of the Courtesan (Tucker Minnick) while Antipholus S. (Joseph Workman) looks on in confusion.
We ran through the show twice last night and, honestly, the first time through I wasn't too encouraged. Clouds have gathered in Corvallis over the past few days and weather has turned oddly grey and gloomy. Perhaps the lack of sun was sapping the energy from the cast. The run wasn't bad, but something was missing. I understand, we are at a strange point in the process. The cast feels ready for new elements such as costumes and tech, but little pieces of the play still need to be tightened.
I gave notes and we took a short break. I reminded them that this run was the LAST run they would have as a cast. The last run where it was literally all about them and their work without the distractions of tech dividing my focus between the cast, the costume designer, the set designer, and the technical director. Honestly, I never really considered myself much of a "motivational speaker." I'm a rather "tough-love" sort. But, hell . . . something clicked.
A funny thing happened on the way to the Quad last night. The comedy was actually funny. It became a focused, energetic run where the performers had the courage to commit to their performances in a very real and believable way. They stepped it up! Even the scenes that were working during the first run were tighter, bolder, and more interesting. There was a level of believability in the Dromios that I hadn't seen before. Antipholus E. was so desperate. Antipholus S. was lost, in love, and passionate. Adriana and Luciana were unrelentingly sassy and overly-emotional. The thuggish two-bit hustlers Angelo and Balthazar were tough and funny. Everyone was committed to what they were doing.
We talked through the second run with more notes and the cast acknowledged the difference. Deep breath! It's only going to become more vibrant and alive when we start adding the color, sound, and flash of "Ephesus" into the mix.
