The Comedy of Errors -Orlando Shakespeare
Uproariously funny and gut-busting. If you want to get acquainted with Shakespeare, this is the show to see.
OST Director Patrick Flick's version of this work is farcical and side-splitting and doesn't leave a dry eye in the room; not from tears of sorrow mind you, but from tears of hilariousness. This season marks the departure of our favorite, Timothy Williams; but if this show is any indication of what is to come, then we are in for a truly memorable season.
Patrick is no amateur mind you, his previous OST shows include Twelfth Night and Into the Woods, both of which were extremely funny. This season's Comedy of Errors however, has to be one of the the funniest OST productions to date. During the off-season, Mark, Gary and Karen and I were lamenting the departure of our final favorite, Tim Williams. After Eric Hissom and Mindy Anders left, we wondered how the OST team could ever match the humor of the previous seasons. Thanks to veteran Suzanne O'Donnell, Brad DePlanche and new comer Sarah Ireland the company is staged for great things. Sophomore T. Robert Pigott, third year Brandon Roberts and newcomer Daniel Harray were hardly second rate. All turned in stellar performances that belie their humble resumes. Yet again a testament to Patrick's ability to appeal to the banal appetites of the stereotypical 16th century Shakespeare fan.
The famous story is a tale about two sets of twins separated at a very young age by a shipwreck. Dad, takes his one son and one servant back to Syracuse and re-names the kids with the name of the lost boys. When all end up in neighboring Ephesus with the same names, nothing but sheer confusion and chaos ensue. Patrick does an extraordinary job interpreting the humor. The staging, antics and over the top slapstick might seem a bit distasteful to some, but at a time when the movie "Super Bad" is on the charts for weeks, this level of pratfall comedy hits the mark.
Memorable Moments:
Take for instance the scene with Dr. Pinch. Dressed as an Egyptian, he jumps up on a block and does a "Walk Like an Egyptian" movement from side to side with head disengaging from his shoulders, all you can do spit out your water.
Or for example, every time Adriana (Suzanne) speaks, she does so without taking a breath. The result is a hyper fast, hyper funny, jumble of iambic pentameter. Amazingly she doesn't butcher the poetry, but instead makes it keenly relevant.
The icing was Brad's performance as Dromio, for example the scene where he is describing fat Nell to Antipholus is so gut-bustlingly hilarious that your sides ache when he's done. Mind you this isn't your average performance of Shakespeare, Brad is moving with such absurd mannerisms and facial expressions that he captivates even the most stiff lipped of fans. Oh and I have to mention the fart scenes. Yes Patrick takes ample advantage of fart jokes and sound effects and some might say to the detriment of gentility, but it works so well and would have completely appealed to Shakespeare's actual audiences.
Must See
Whether a Shakes newbie or veteran, this show is FOR YOU. Everyone will love it.
Playing Now thru October 7th there is plenty of time to get out and see this amazing show.
Tickets run anywhere from $20 -$37 depending on the night and seats.
http://www.orlandoshakes.org/
OST Director Patrick Flick's version of this work is farcical and side-splitting and doesn't leave a dry eye in the room; not from tears of sorrow mind you, but from tears of hilariousness. This season marks the departure of our favorite, Timothy Williams; but if this show is any indication of what is to come, then we are in for a truly memorable season.
Patrick is no amateur mind you, his previous OST shows include Twelfth Night and Into the Woods, both of which were extremely funny. This season's Comedy of Errors however, has to be one of the the funniest OST productions to date. During the off-season, Mark, Gary and Karen and I were lamenting the departure of our final favorite, Tim Williams. After Eric Hissom and Mindy Anders left, we wondered how the OST team could ever match the humor of the previous seasons. Thanks to veteran Suzanne O'Donnell, Brad DePlanche and new comer Sarah Ireland the company is staged for great things. Sophomore T. Robert Pigott, third year Brandon Roberts and newcomer Daniel Harray were hardly second rate. All turned in stellar performances that belie their humble resumes. Yet again a testament to Patrick's ability to appeal to the banal appetites of the stereotypical 16th century Shakespeare fan.
The famous story is a tale about two sets of twins separated at a very young age by a shipwreck. Dad, takes his one son and one servant back to Syracuse and re-names the kids with the name of the lost boys. When all end up in neighboring Ephesus with the same names, nothing but sheer confusion and chaos ensue. Patrick does an extraordinary job interpreting the humor. The staging, antics and over the top slapstick might seem a bit distasteful to some, but at a time when the movie "Super Bad" is on the charts for weeks, this level of pratfall comedy hits the mark.
Memorable Moments:
Take for instance the scene with Dr. Pinch. Dressed as an Egyptian, he jumps up on a block and does a "Walk Like an Egyptian" movement from side to side with head disengaging from his shoulders, all you can do spit out your water.
Or for example, every time Adriana (Suzanne) speaks, she does so without taking a breath. The result is a hyper fast, hyper funny, jumble of iambic pentameter. Amazingly she doesn't butcher the poetry, but instead makes it keenly relevant.
The icing was Brad's performance as Dromio, for example the scene where he is describing fat Nell to Antipholus is so gut-bustlingly hilarious that your sides ache when he's done. Mind you this isn't your average performance of Shakespeare, Brad is moving with such absurd mannerisms and facial expressions that he captivates even the most stiff lipped of fans. Oh and I have to mention the fart scenes. Yes Patrick takes ample advantage of fart jokes and sound effects and some might say to the detriment of gentility, but it works so well and would have completely appealed to Shakespeare's actual audiences.
Must See
Whether a Shakes newbie or veteran, this show is FOR YOU. Everyone will love it.
Playing Now thru October 7th there is plenty of time to get out and see this amazing show.
Tickets run anywhere from $20 -$37 depending on the night and seats.
http://www.orlandoshakes.org/
Comments