{"id":364513,"date":"2025-02-16T09:03:35","date_gmt":"2025-02-16T14:03:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/?p=364513"},"modified":"2025-02-16T09:03:35","modified_gmt":"2025-02-16T14:03:35","slug":"laugh-packed-its-the-comedy-of-errors-hon-at-chesapeake-shakespeare-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/02\/16\/laugh-packed-its-the-comedy-of-errors-hon-at-chesapeake-shakespeare-company\/","title":{"rendered":"Laugh-packed ‘It\u2019s The Comedy of Errors, Hon!’ at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oh, the horror! The terror! It\u2019s Edgar Allan Poe! Oh wait, is that Billie Holiday? There\u2019s Frederick Douglass! A hon?! Well, thanks to the wizard adapter and director Ian Gallanar, It\u2019s The Comedy of Errors, Hon!<\/em> (mostly) by William Shakespeare, now playing at the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company. And just a small, big side note: It\u2019s CSC’s official 100th production! So, congrats on that! This delightful, Baltimore-themed take on classic Shakespeare kept the laughter coming even before they got started! It\u2019s a great way to become acquainted with Shakespeare for beginners and a fun take for the connoisseur. I see this becoming a fast favorite for theatergoers this season.<\/p>\n

Even before we get started, you have the \u201cHawker\u201d offering you (for purchase) Fisher\u2019s Old Bay popcorn, Cowtails, and of course, Natty Boh. I must say, the popcorn was very tasty. It helped solidify a very \u201chon\u201d vibe. You are also regaled by some classic Baltimore musical entertainment from the pre-show musicians: Greg Atkin, Holly Gibbs, Jose O. Guzman, Matt Harris, Laura Malkus, and Brendan Murray, \u201cCrabs for Christmas\u201d by David DeBoy (local Baltimore actor), and \u201cMake Your Own Kind of Music\u201d by Barry Man and Cynthia Well, made famous by Cass Elliott (of the Mamas and the Papas), just to name a few. There were some fun facts and lighthearted jabs toward our northern brothers in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh because, you know, why not? The play itself was so much fun and plain enjoyable, I was laughing the entire time.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Holly Gibbs as Luce, Brendan Murray as Mayor William Donald Schaefer, and Kathryne Daniels as Adriana in CSC\u2019s \u2018It\u2019s The Comedy of Errors, Hon!\u2019 Photo by Kiirstn Pagan Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Set in the mind of Baltimore, according to Poe, acted by Gil Mitchell, this play is more of a warm mix of all things Baltimore and Shakespeare. Based on Shakespeare\u2019s The Comedy of Errors, <\/em>the plot of the mistaken identities of the twins is still the central storyline. Two sets of twins bring chaos to an entire city through no fault of their own. It\u2019s a whole whirlwind of a mess. But it is a fun mess to witness.<\/p>\n

One of the things I truly appreciate is all things \u201cHon.\u201d Kristina Lambdin, costume and wig designer, brought her top-tier \u201cA\u201d game to the party. The wigs were fun with their ribbon design, and the costumes were quintessential \u201cHon\u201d attire. I even loved the little pink shoes with the bows. I kind of want a pair for myself.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s give a rousing round of applause to Shakill Jamal, who portrayed Antipholus of Baltimore and Philadelphia. I appreciated how he made his character very much a typical \u201chood\u201d dude from Baltimore with classic Philly candor. Hilarious. Even his strut and swagger were flawless.<\/p>\n

Another personal favorite was Luciana, played by Dawn Thomas Reidy. I can\u2019t quite put my little finger on it, but every time I saw her onstage, she gave me joy. From polishing the stairs to her shock-and-awe moments, it was amusing to watch her.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The cast of CSC\u2019s \u2018It\u2019s The Comedy of Errors, Hon!\u2019 Photo by Kiirstn Pagan Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I also appreciated the guest appearance of Elana Michelle as Billie Holiday. While we will never have the pleasure of hearing Ms. Holiday live, we had the gratification of hearing a most pleasant rendition of \u201cAll of Me\u201d by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons. Her voice was achingly beautiful in this moment.<\/p>\n

But the real MVP was Dromio of both Baltimore and Philadelphia, acted by Jose O. Guzman. He literally had me in stitches in almost every scene where he showed up. While he was given a script to perform, he gave back sheer enthusiastic entertainment. The number of times he was yanked up by a variety of people was laughable. He did a fabulous job of creating and maintaining the mayhem. Even his \u201cewww\u201d moments were funny. Honestly, the way he says \u201cspherical\u201d to describe his brother\u2019s wife was a chef\u2019s kiss for me. And I do hope he finally got a chance to eat a proper sandwich.<\/p>\n

Overall, this adaptation was everything I wanted and needed it to be. I openly enjoyed the show and was besotted with the random moments. For example, the dancing gorilla. It was completely unexpected, but I\u2019m happy it happened. You\u2019ll just have to see that tidbit for yourself.<\/p>\n

Running time: Two hours with a 15-minute intermission.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s The Comedy of Errors, Hon!<\/em> <\/strong><\/a>plays through March 9, 2025, at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company,<\/a> 7 South Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD. Purchase tickets ($28\u2013$55) by calling 410-244-8570, visiting the Box Office in person, or ordering online.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The program for It\u2019s The Comedy of Errors, Hon!<\/em> is online here.<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s The Comedy of Errors, Hon!<\/strong><\/em>
\n(Mostly) by William Shakespeare
\nAdapted and Directed by Ian Gallanar<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Adapter Ian Gallanar directs a delightful, Baltimore-themed take on classic Shakespeare that’s fun and plain enjoyable. By CONSTANCE BEULAH<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":364519,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[160],"class_list":{"0":"post-364513","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews","8":"tag-ian-gallanar"},"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nLaugh-packed 'It\u2019s The Comedy of Errors, Hon!' at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company - 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