Everyone has experienced the moment of awkwardness as they accidentally call a twin by the name of their sibling. This in itself is confusing, but what would happen if both twins had the same name? Sometimes, you would think you were talking to a completely different person.
This is exactly what happened in the most recent production by the University of Idaho Theater Arts Department, “The Comedy of Errors.” This Shakespearean comedy follows two pairs of twin brothers, one set of twins named Antipholus and the other twins — their servants — named Dromio.
Each twin was separated from the other at an early age due to a boating accident and now has no recollection that they are, in fact, a twin. This creates strange and comedic moments as the twins at a much older age find themselves on the same island.
Everyone on the island knows one of the sets of Dromio and Antipholus, as they live on the island. When the other set of twins arrive on the island, havoc ensues as they are mistaken for one another.
Throughout the play, chaos unfolds as the twin Dromios constantly mix up errands while the visiting Antipholus unknowingly flirts with his brother’s sister-in-law, frustrating his brother’s wife.
The play uses many comedic moments to ultimately lead to a climax where all of the major problems are resolved and the twins discover that they are indeed twins.
The actors convincingly portrayed the characters during the play in a way that made it feel as if the audience were the only people who knew that there were twins. All the town members portrayed the confusion perfectly through both facial expressions and movement.
The movement of both actors portraying Dromio and Antipholus was perfect in convincingly portraying that they are twins. As the play went on, the actions of the twins — such as Dromio hopping on a box — was consistent and similar amongst the two Dromio actors.
A standout performance was the portrayal of Adriana, Antipholus’ wife, by actor Cambree Miller. She perfectly encapsulated the anger toward the actions of her husband and his twin through her facial expressions and movement.
The actors’ performances consistently elevated the production. These performances made future UI Theater Arts Department productions feel worth anticipating.
The set design was gorgeous and the layered construction made the play dynamic and interesting for the audience. The doors on the stage added a unique element of interest as the actors entered buildings and had many different directions that they could leave the stage from.
The use of curtains as backdrops for shadow puppets during the introduction section explaining how the twins ended up separated was a unique element that was unexpected but very welcome.
It was clear that every single aspect of the set design was carefully constructed to create the best possible stage for the actors. The painting of the floor to make it look like cobblestone and the protruding sections of the stage added to the incredible atmosphere of the play.
I felt like the props used throughout the play added so much. The boxes at the front of the stage felt like deliberate and creative choices as the Dromio actors interacted with them throughout the play.
The costume designers seemed to put a lot of detail in each costume. The similarities in costumes between the twins made distinguishing them at the beginning of the play easy despite being acted by people who didn’t look alike.
Many costumes were very intricate and detailed such as the merchant that occasionally showed up throughout the play. The detail in costumes made the characters more fun and interesting.
Through strong performances, gorgeous set design, creative props and detailed costumes, “The Comedy of Errors” created a memorable experience while showcasing the talent within the UI Theater Arts Department.
The next theatrical production, “Venus in Fur,” opens at The Forge Theater starting July 10.
Dominic Dorigo can be reached at [email protected]