A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘The Comedy of Errors’

Did you know that there is a Los Angeles-based Shakespeare in the Park theatre company that offers consistent and excellent quality of work and talent, commits to significant global majority representation, pays their actors Equity wages, and yet somehow makes all performances free for the public? That’s the Independent Shakespeare Co. for you and this high praise most certainly applies with their stellar and uproariously hilarious production of William Shakespeare‘s The Comedy of Errors.

Two small-town pals find themselves lost and fumbling through a bustling Mediterranean port city. Surrounded by a medley of languages, cultures, and unfamiliar rules, the duo stumbles through mishaps, mayhem, and mistaken identities, only to run into the last people they expect. Infused with hilarious wordplay, wild slapstick, and a rocking original score, Shakespeare’s comedic masterpiece proves that however far you travel, you can always find your way home.

I need to re-emphasize the point I made in the beginning and marvel at Independent Shakespeare Co.‘s mission statement to not only pay their actors Equity wages, commit to true significant global majority representation in their cast and crew, but strive to have all their performances free for the public. No matter what the quality of the production may be, these three factors alone make this company worth advocating for in terms of keeping the arts alive. It is therefore even more wonderful that the quality of their work and their talent is simply top notch in all regards.

With this production of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, they added David Melville‘s musical material from the feature film Live at the Porpentine, which is itself a filmed adaptation of the Shakespeare comedy utilizing many of the same actors. With a groovy band featuring Kalean Ung (The Chanteuse), David Melville (Doctor Pinch/Guitar), William Elsman (Angelo/Drums), Dave Beukers (Officer One/Piano), and Astrid Peterson (Officer Two/Bass) who weave in and out of the play with their band set, the live music adds an irresistible charm that prompted an awe-inspiring lighter ritual from the crowd as they brought out their cell phone lights.

That irresistible charm is only enhanced with a rock solid ensemble cast with so many global majority actors in significant positions, that I was at first wondering if my eyes were deceiving me. I’m used to Shakespeare productions where they have one global majority actor as the lead and the majority of the cast being white actors or productions where there are a few global majority actors sprinkled in. But to see one where nine of the sixteen actors are global majority and six of them are the leads and supporting leads? Perfection. Special shoutouts to the six leads and supporting leads specifically with Patrick Batiste (Antipholus of Syracuse), Brent Charles (Antipholus of Ephesus), Brian Tran (Dromio of Ephesus), Trinidad James Sandoval (Dromio of Syracuse), Bukola Ogunmola (Adriana), and Carene Rose Mekertichyan (Luciana) who all excel magnificently in their comedic presence and timing.

If there is anything to be nitpicky about, it is noticeable that this is Shakespeare’s earlier works (whether this is actually indeed Shakespeare writing it is a whole different story) as the story in The Comedy of Errors is absolutely non-sensical with a ridiculous degree of mistaken identity hijinks taking place with not just one set of long lost identical twins but TWO long lost identical twins, both pairs who just happen to be paired with each other as master and servant. That the wife Adriana could not tell it was her own husband but that of his long lost brother is a logistical detail that is better left not pondered upon too much nor any of the citizens of Ephesus not being able to detect anything amiss with their own who they have known for over 20 years.

This production knows all too well the absurdity of the plot and as such, invites the audience to lean into the silliness of it all because the ensemble cast sure are. Deftly directed by Melissa Chalsma (who also gives a stirring turn as Abbess near the finale of the play), watching this astounding production and knowing about this theatre company’s mission made me feel conflicting emotions of sheer joy and shame; joy for the immense excellence in this production and their entire creative team and cast, and shame for not seeing any of their past productions and knowing about this company sooner. In a time when the arts continue to be threatened with being wiped out here in the United States with the onslaught of AI slop and a relentlessly buffoonish government administration, it is extraordinary to find such theatre that offers the quality and care in their work while also making it so accessible to the people.

So all in all, this is a very elaborate way of saying to bring some blanket, go over to the Old Zoo in Griffith Park, and catch art in its purest and freest form. The Comedy of Errors will run until September 6 with performances from Wednesdays to Sundays 7pm PST. You can RSVP for free or reserve a chair for $60 in their RSVP page here but there have been many performances where one can literally wander over to the Old Zoo if you wish to feel uncommitted!