Chicago Shakespeare Theater Presents SHORT SHAKESPEARE! THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, 1/23-3/6

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) continues the 2009/10 Family Series with Short Shakespeare! The Comedy of Errors, a family-friendly 75-minute abridged production of Shakespeare's madcap comedy, directed and adapted by David H. Bell. CST's Short Shakespeare! program is designed for parents, grandparents, teachers or anyone with children in their lives to introduce young people to the timeless works of Shakespeare and the magic of live theater. Immediately following each performance, the actors remain on stage for a brief question-and-answer session and then join the audience in the lobby for one-on-one conversations and photo opportunities. Tickets are $16 for students (18 and younger), and $20 for adults. Short Shakespeare! The Comedy of Errors runs Saturdays at 11:00 a.m., January 23 through March 6, 2010 in Chicago Shakespeare's Courtyard Theater on Navy Pier. All CST patrons receive a 40% parking discount. For further information and to purchase tickets, call the Box Office at 312.595.5600, or visit the Theater's website at www.chicagoshakes.com.

The Comedy of Errors tells the wildly entertaining tale of Antipholus and his servant Dromio landing in Ephesus, searching for their long-lost twin brothers. Everywhere they go in this foreign land, strangers insist that they're old friends. Mistaken identities abound, but in the end, chaos gives way to clarity in this comedy filled with mayhem and madness as identical twin brothers and their identical twin servants get lost in a hilarious, mixed-up world of mistaken identities.
For young audiences being introduced to live theater, Chicago Shakespeare's Courtyard Theater provides a close relationship between audience members and the actors, enhancing the play-going experience. For this production, the Theater is configured with the addition of main floor seating on the proscenium stage itself, creating a theater-in-the-round.

Staging the production is veteran Chicago Shakespeare director David H. Bell who returns to CST where his directing credits include The Three Musketeers, The Comedy of Errors, As You Like It and Much Ado About Nothing. This show marks his fourth turn directing a Short Shakespeare! production, having staged and adapted abridgements of Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew and another production of The Comedy of Errors in 2005. Bell has worked extensively in Chicago as a director, choreographer and writer earning 10 Joseph Jefferson Awards and 33 nominations. He has also received a nomination for London's prestigious Laurence Olivier Award and two Playwriting Fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts. Bell has directed on and off Broadway at Carnegie Hall and at The Kennedy Center and has staged productions internationally in Berlin, London, Paris, Vienna, Zurich and the Barcelona Olympics. He is an Associate Professor of Music Theater at Northwestern University.

The cast of Short Shakespeare! The Comedy of Errors includes: Melody Betts as Courtesan/Abbess; Daniel Cantor as Egeon/Luce/Dr. Pinch; Christopher Chmelik as Waiter/Messenger/Gaoler; Jackson Doran as Antipholus of Ephesus; Brian Hamman as Dromio of Syracuse; Michael Huftile as Duke/Balthasar; Ashleigh Lathrop as Luciana; Steve Lenz as 2nd Merchant/Waiter; Joe Minoso as Angelo; Tiffany Scott as Adriana; John Stokvis as Waiter/Officer/1st Merchant; Scott Thomas as Dromio of Ephesus and Andrew Truschinski as Antipholus of Syracuse.

The Production Team includes: Scenic Designer Tom Burch; Costume Designer Ana Kuzmanic; Lighting Designer Kevin Dreyer; Sound Designer Scotty Iseri; Wig & Makeup Designer Melissa Veal; Properties Master Chelsea Meyers and Verse Coach Larry Yando.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier is not only the region's largest professional theater dedicated to the works of Shakespeare, it is also a leading cultural center for young audiences, their parents and teachers. Chicago Shakespeare provides families, students and educators with a unique environment to share one of the richest experiences there is: the making of art and the sharing of stories. By introducing the classics and art to young people, CST offers a significant experience, presenting a convergence of abridged Shakespeare productions, timeless fables and fairy tales, interactive music concerts, and musical theater created with families in mind. For the tens of thousands of families who visit Navy Pier every year, Chicago Shakespeare Theater introduces the classics and the performing arts to young people in an exciting and accessible way.
Short Shakespeare! The Comedy of Errors runs seven Saturdays at 11:00 a.m., January 23 through March 6, 2010. The performance schedule is Saturday January 23, 30, February 6, 13, 20, 27 and March 6 at 11:00 a.m. The production is recommended for ages 10 and up and tickets are $16 for students (18 and younger) and $20 for adults. Immediately following each performance, the actors remain on stage for a brief question-and-answer session and will then join the audience in the lobby for one-on-one conversations and photo opportunities. For further information and to purchase tickets, call the Chicago Shakespeare Theater Box Office at 312.595.5600, or visit the Theater's website at www.chicagoshakes.com.