Spend your Saturday with Shakespeare:
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents
Short Shakespeare!
The Comedy of Errors
75-minute comedy is perfect introduction to Shakespeare for audiences of all ages
Saturdays at 11:00am, January 25–February 29, 2020
Chicago—January 17, 2020—Chicago Shakespeare Theater invites audiences to spend their Saturday with Shakespeare in this cleverly abridged, 75-minute production of Short Shakespeare! The Comedy of Errors on Saturdays at 11:00am, January 25–February 29, 2020 in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare. Filled to the brim with acrobatics and mayhem, the hilarity and hijinks of Shakespeare's comedy are larger-than-life in this vibrant and fast-paced production, making it the perfect introduction to Shakespeare for audiences of all ages.
Short Shakespeare! The Comedy of Errors is directed by Eli Newell, with adaptation and original direction by David H. Bell. After each performance, the actors remain on stage for a question-and-answer session before joining the audience in the Lobby to mingle and take photos. Tickets start at just $24 for students ages 18 and under.
The story unfolds when Antipholus and his lifelong companion Dromio find themselves in Ephesus as they search the world over for a twin, lost in infancy. Everywhere they go in this foreign land, complete strangers insist that they’re best of friends. Is everyone here quite mad? Mistaken identities abound, as one bewildering day in Ephesus makes for hysterical complications—and a bewitching theatrical experience.
The company of The Comedy of Errors features Adam Wesley Brown (Antipholus of Syracuse), Nora Carroll (Adriana), Lillian Castillo (Troupe Manager/Courtesan/ Emilia), Samuel Douglas (Second Merchant/Hamlet/Waiter), Phoebe González (Luciana), Casey Hoekstra (Antipholus of Ephesus), Sam Linda (Dromio of Ephesus), Ian Maryfield (Dromio of Syracuse), Jack D. Olin (Waiter/Messenger/Jailer), Dan Plehal (First Merchant/Officer/Waiter), Nima Rakhshanifar (Angelo), Drew Shirley (Egeon/Luce/Dr. Pinch), and Laurence Stepney (Duke of Ephesus/ Balthazar).
Creating the world of The Comedy of Errors are Original Scenic Designer Tom Burch with Additional Scenic Elements by Alan E. Schwanke, Costume Designer Ana Kuzmanic, Lighting Designer Michelle E. Benda, Sound Designer Eric Backus, and Wig and Make-up Designer Richard Jarvie. Also joining Newell on the creative team are Composer Jonathan Bauerfeld and Verse Coach Chaon Cross, as well as Assistant Director Megan Gray, Intimacy Choreographer Tristin Hall, Movement Coach Max Fabian, and Movement Assistant Wesley Truman Daniel.
In addition to public performances on Saturdays, Short Shakespeare! The Comedy of Errors will welcome 30,000 students during its six-week run of weekday matinees in The Yard, followed by a two-week tour to schools across the region through March 12, 2020.
Chicago Shakespeare’s Short Shakespeare! series is part of the Theater’s nationally recognized Team Shakespeare education programs, which have impacted two million students to date. Chicago Shakespeare brings Shakespeare’s work to life in the school curriculum—through live performance, professional learning for educators, comprehensive teaching resources, and opportunities for students to perform Shakespeare. These initiatives—in concert with the free citywide Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks tour and summer family musical series—exemplify the Theater’s steadfast commitment to young audiences and ensure that one in four audience members is age 18 or under.
Chicago Shakespeare strives to make its facility and performances accessible to all patrons through its Access Shakespeare programs. Accessible performances for Short Shakespeare! The Comedy of Errors include:
- Audio-described Performance – Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 11:00am
A program that enables patrons who are blind or have low vision to more fully experience live performances by providing spoken narration of a play’s key visual elements. - ASL Duo-interpreted Performance – Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 11:00am
All dialogue and lyrics are translated into American Sign Language by two certified interpreters. - Open-captioned Performances – Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 11:00am
A text display of the words and sounds heard during a play, synced live with the action onstage.
Short Shakespeare! The Comedy of Errors will be presented on Saturdays at 11:00am from January 25–February 29, 2020 in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, Single tickets ($24 for audience members age 18 and under; $36 for adults) are on sale now. Special discounts will be available for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater’s website at www.chicagoshakes.com.
ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, Chicago Shakespeare has redefined what a great American Shakespeare theater can be—a company that defies theatrical category. This Regional Tony Award-winning theater’s year-round season features as many as twenty productions and 650 performances—including plays, musicals, world premieres, family programming, and presentations from around the globe. Chicago Shakespeare is the city’s leading presenter of international work, and has toured its own productions across five continents. The Theater’s nationally acclaimed arts in literacy programs support the work of teachers, and bring Shakespeare to life on stage for tens of thousands of students annually. Each summer, the company tours a free professional production to neighborhood parks across Chicago. In 2017 the Theater unveiled The Yard, which, together with the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater and the Thoma Theater Upstairs, positions Chicago Shakespeare as Chicago’s most versatile performing arts center.
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