Farce takes flight in Gary with Shakespeare’s ‘Errors’

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Kathleen Wise (left) and Sid Solomon are shown in a scene from "A Comedy of Errors." | Provided Photo

Updated: March 25, 2012 8:02AM

Although it’s Shakespearean and a product of Elizabethan times, “The Comedy of Errors” has the elements to fend off attempts to label it as dusty and highbrow.

Ian Belknap certainly lauds its relatability in today’s world.

He’s the director of The Acting Company’s version of “The Comedy of Errors” scheduled for 7 p.m. March 7 at West Side Theatre in Gary.

It’s a farcical excursion into mistaken identity, courtesy of the Bard.

“It’s also a situational comedy, so structurally it’s similar to something like ‘Seinfeld’ in the sense that it’s the situation that makes something funny,” Belknap said. “It’s not a plot-driven play like some of his later work, so it’s certainly more accessible and it’s full of puns and slapstick.”

Linking the Shakespeare romp to a legendary NBC sitcom is pretty good marketing on the part of the New York City-based theater outfit, which has taken the lyrical production on a national tour.

“A big part of our mission is to perform at schools,” said Belknap, a Fort Wayne native. “Central to The Acting Company’s mission is to take theater into communities that may not otherwise have it.”

Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” is the story of two sets of identical twins separated at birth. What follows is a cavalcade of wild mishaps based on mistaken identities and “leading to wrongful attacks, a near seduction, an arrest and accusations of infidelity, theft, madness and demonic possession,” according to publicity material from The Acting Company, which was founded in 1972.

Reaching young students is a goal that can be achieved with “The Comedy of Errors,” which has all its action set in one day. The story also will be set in modern times.

“This is a very early play in Shakespeare’s career, and he wrote it as a very young man,” said Belknap, associate director of The Acting Company. “It is shorter and the language is less dense than some of his later work.”

The West Side Theatre Guild of Gary is hosting the March 7 performance.

Mark Spencer, the guild’s artistic director, said his troupe’s aim is to “present as much diverse programming as possible.”

“Sometimes we refer to it as a cultural stimulus — to expose our citizens to a wide variety of artistic offerings,” Spencer, a Gary resident, said. “I think that it’s great to program outside of what people are normally used to.”