The University of Idaho Department of Theatre Arts will present William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” with seven performances beginning April 30 at the Hartung Theater in Moscow.
The production offers audiences a comedic story about long-lost twins, mistaken identities, and confusion. The show opens with a preview night at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 30. Additional performances are scheduled for May 1, May 2, May 3, May 8, May 9, and May 10 at various times.
In the play, Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant Dromio arrive in Ephesus after being separated from their twins by a shipwreck. The two soon encounter bewildering situations as they are mistaken for their siblings who already live in Ephesus.
Riley Duvall, a junior theatre arts student playing Antipholus of Ephesus, said: “Getting to play Antipholus of Ephesus has given me the wonderful opportunity to be expressive and larger than life. Antipholus of Ephesus must convince the people around him that he is not drunk, crazy or possessed — which is a response I find to be the most reasonable after his family begins to tell stories about him that are not true.”
Robert Caisley, chair of the Theatre Arts Department and head of the dramatic writing program, said: “The preeminent Shakespearean scholar Harold Bloom saw ‘The Comedy of Errors’ as Shakespeare’s first great proof of comic brilliance. He called it a perfect early play, dazzling in its structure, speed and sheer delight in human confusion. You won’t want to miss this comedy, which runs like clockwork and is full of mistaken identities, escalating chaos and joyous laughter.”
Tickets for “The Comedy of Errors” are free for University students and range from $6 to $26 for members of the public through uitickets.com.
