Interview: COMEDY OF ERRORS Director, Composer and Actor at Independent Shakespeare Company

Shakespeare’s first play, Comedy of Errors, is sure to be a crowd favorite this summer when Independent Shakespeare Company brings it into the Old Dell outdoors in Griffth Park. It’s a fast-paced farce of mistaken identities with hilarious wordplay, slapstick comedy, and a swinging original score! The story follows two sets of identical twins separated at birth - masters named Antipholus and their servants named Dromio - who unwittingly end up in the same bustling Mediterranean port city, causing a hilarious chain of chaotic misunderstandings. Surrounded by a medley of cultures and unfamiliar rules, the duo stumbles through mishaps, mayhem, and mistaken identities, only to run into the last people they expect… themselves!

I decided to speak with ISC Artistic Director Melissa Chalsma, who directs Comedy of Errors, ISC Managing Director David Melville who started the company with Melissa and has composed six original songs and some additional instrumentals as well as playing Dr Pinch in the production, and Carene Rose Mekertichyan who is playing Luciana and is ISC’s Artistic Associate for Social Justice.

ITC Artistic Director, Co-Founder and Director Melissa Chalsma

Here’s my conversation with Melissa Chalsma:

As the group’s Artistic Director and director of the production, why did you decide to choose the first play attributed to Shakespeare (in 1589) to present this summer?

We took a thrilling risk presenting Shakespeare’s lesser known political masterpiece, Coriolanus, for our first production this summer, and I wanted to balance that with a play that was more accessible to families, and people that are “Shakespeare curious” but potentially wary. Comedy of Errors is a vivacious, fast-paced romantic comedy that provides ample opportunity for amazing comic acting. But it also has an underpinning of melancholy, which is really what draws me to the play.

What do you consider the central theme of your interpretation? 

For me the play is about the profound need we all have for deep, unconditional acceptance and love. However comically, all of the central characters are seeking to find a sense of security and permanence in their chaotic world.

Audiences enjoy free Shakespeare outdoors in Griffith Park, presented by Independent Shakespeare Company

In what specific time-period are you setting the story? And how does it enhance the action, given its outdoor setting?

I’ve set this production on the verge of 1950 in the Mediterranean city of Ephesus, an island at the crossroads of three continents, a bustling port town with a vibrant nightlife. Something I’ve made very specific (which isn’t actually in Shakespeare's text) is that it is taking place on the Saint Day for St. Phanourios, a real-life, lesser-known saint whose celebratory day is August 27.

Throughout the production we are using the Festival of St. Phanourios as a framing device. Throughout the play, the characters are preparing for that evening’s Festival of St. Phanourios, who is also known as “the Revealer” and the patron saint of what’s been lost. The audience can join in the celebrations via some hands-on activities, as well.

Kalean Ung is the show’s narrator, the Chanteuse

The other big addition I’ve made is re-imagining the character of the Courtesan to be the Chanteuse. She’s arrived to prepare for the festival performance at the Porpentine Club with the local band. The band is all characters in the play, including the town doctor, the goldsmith, and two constables. In this way, we anchor the play by six musical numbers played by the band.

What was your inspiration for the costumes and set design color palette? And how does the environment created reflect the confusion of the story?

BinhAn Nguyen is our set designer and Danica Martino is our Costume Designer. The three of us are inspired by the faded colors of an old Mediterranean city, and the feeling that many cultures and communities have occupied the geographical space. Much of the play takes place in a town square, which fits our in-the-round stage perfectly, and we are peppering the audience area with flourishes that evoke a bustling community.

A Comedy of Errors relies heavily on timing and requires highly synchronized exits and entrances. How do you maintain the chaotic energy of a farce without losing the plot's clarity?

Well, that’s the trick, isn’t it? I suppose the biggest factor is verbal clarity. Once you lose what people are saying, all the physical comedy in the world can’t save you. So that is always my focus as a director!

Comedy of Errors in rehearsal

Since the Antipholus or Dromio Twins are identical (or dressed identically), how do you differentiate the characters so the audience can tell them apart? Or is that mix-up essential to your interpretation of the story?

I think for an audience, that actors are very obviously different people! The similarities of their costumes (with some minor differences) allow the audience to believe that the other characters are mistaking them for each other. Also, particularly with Brent and Patrick, who play the two leads, their approaches are very different. One Antipholus has grown up an orphan and has a sort of sorrow at his core, where the other twin had one loving parent that has given him more confidence. Part of the emotional weight of the production is carried out by how they are distinct from one another.

How are you approaching physical comedy and stage combat to keep it fresh and safe during every performance?

All combat, and indeed all theater staging, is planned and practiced to maintain clarity and safety. This is even more imperative in the park, where entrances can be challenging due to uneven ground, and all the other things that can happen out of doors. We all have to remember to stay aware!

The Comedy of Errors cast

What do you hope audiences will be talking about on their way home?

I hope they laughed a lot! I’d love for them to recollect production moments that surprised or delighted them, to be humming some of the songs, and mostly that they are moved to say “I love you” to whoever in their life they can.

Is there anything else you would like to share about the production?

We look forward to saying hello to our audience - it’s a great community event, and nothing’s better than seeing people get to know the folks on the blanket next to them.

ITC Co-Founder and Composer David Melville

And now, it’s time for David Melville:

For the musical "palette" of this production, are you leaning into a specific historical era, a modern genre (like jazz or pop), or a timeless, surreal soundscape?

The production design has a 1950’s feel to it, so the music largely follows that. Although some elements of the music are a bit more modern sounding, I’m using a blend of rock-n-roll, jazz, and vaudeville.

Since the production is outdoors in a park, what types of instruments will be played?
It’s Dr Pinch’s band – Dr Pinch on guitar, Angelo (William Elsman) the Jeweler on Drums, and two local police officers on Piano (Dave Beukers) and Bass (Astrid Peterson). Also, there is a little bit of surprise sax from Dromio of Ephesus (Brina Tran). Dr Pinch’s guitar is the lead instrument – a twangy 50’s Gretsch, he sounds a bit like Hank Marvin but secretly wishes he could be Brian Setzer.

Comedy of Errors in rehearsal

The Comedy of Errors balances absurd slapstick with moments of real emotional weight. How does the music transition between slapstick farce and genuine family drama?

The music is mostly pretty straight – the lyrics to the songs shift between bawdy/comedic storytelling and darker reflections about the characters and situations. Kalean sings all the songs as her character: a nightclub singer in the Porpentine that we call the Chanteuse (Shakespeare made her a courtesan but we gave her an upgrade). The Chanteuse mostly circles around her relationship with Antipholus of Ephesus – she is grooming him as a sort of sugar daddy. She is a bit naughty, and the songs reflect that, but she has an understanding of how lost Antipholus feels; he doesn’t know he has a missing brother and grew up an orphan.

Some of the instrumental pics lean into the slapstick somewhat. It has something of a Henry Mancini Pink Panther feel to it.

Ephesus is described as a mysterious city of sorcerers, witches, and illusions. What instruments or textures will you use to make the city feel magical or disorienting?

The wobble bar on the Gretsch does a lot of work.

Comedy of Errors in rehearsal

Will the twins share a musical motif to emphasize how identical they sound/look to the world, or have distinct themes that contrast their inner personalities?

No, I haven’t really used the music to illustrate character – beyond the relationship with the Chanteuse and Antipholus of Ephesus.

The production’s lead singer is Kalean Ung who also acts as the show’s narrator, the Chanteuse. How did the two of you work together to develop the music to suit her style?

I love working with Kalean; she is an amazingly versatile singer, she sings opera and rock and pop styles with equal ease. We’ve done a lot of stuff over the years together. We didn’t have to do much to adapt to her style – she is bringing herself to it. There’s a song called “You’ll Never Be the Same” which is everyone’s favorite – it’s very intimate and sensual, it’s a world away from Opera but Kalean has found her own way to bring it to life.

The production’s lead singer is Kalean Ung who also acts as the show’s narrator, the Chanteuse.

What part of the story involves Dr Pinch, and is there music identified with him?

Dr. Pinch is only in one scene and has just six lines! He performs a very unscientific therapy session on Antipholus of Ephesus, whom he assumes is mad. I first performed the role in 2012, and in that version, he was also a band leader. The music was very different, but the band and Dr. Pinch were a hit, and we kept on playing. This turned into a sort of spin-off life for Dr. Pinch; he has an annual Christmas Show (with the band) where we do sketches and sing songs, and he crops up in other places now and then. So, Dr. Pinch has been a musical “lord of misrule” for many years. I guess the 50’s guitar style is his signature, although he sometimes plays the ukulele too (not in this show).

Is there anything else you would like to share about the production?

The songs and much of the music originally appeared in a movie version of Comedy of Errors called Live at the Porpentine. Erika Soto sang the songs in that version – it’s available on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3pVwU0WuLI7pr8grcReFTD?si=TZNXoqT7SlSEOIMPw04m1A

And speaking of actors, here’s my conversation with Carene Rose Mekertichyan (pictured) who portrays Luciana:

Luciana serves as a crucial moral anchor and a comedic foil, caught between her sister Adriana’s fiery jealousy and her own accidental, confusing romance with a man she believes is her brother-in-law. What do you think is through Luciana's mind when Antipholus of Syracuse professes his love, but she believes he is her sister's husband?

It’s definitely complicated and she has a lot of feelings! There is so much of her internal world that is unfortunately not written but that gives the actors portraying her the opportunity to build that world ourselves. One thing that I discovered when exploring in rehearsal with our Director Melissa is the fact that Antipholus of Ephesus is probably someone who — if he wasn’t married to my sister — Luciana would be attracted to since he is “head of household” and a worldly veteran, which appeals to Luciana’s belief that Adriana should really submit to her husband and trust in his knowledge and will. She believes this worldly man with a mysterious origin probably knows what he’s talking about and what’s best.

Now, is this something that she would ever imagine or act on? No, but Luciana is someone who is quite sheltered. She has not been married or even in a relationship, so I think she’s always admired Antipholus and Adriana’s partnership and does see marriage as something she would love to have one day. She really would - ironically - love to have her own Antipholus. And falling for his long-lost twin is just the icing on the cake.

Comedy of Errors in rehearsal

How do you balance her genuine attraction to him with her absolute horror at his perceived betrayal?

I do believe - and I think a lot of twins would also agree - that there is something to be said about an individual’s soul or spirit and the energy that they bring, and I think that once she encounters Antipholus of Syracuse, there is something in his eyes, and his unique swagger and the way he carries himself and speaks with her hits her heart like an arrow going through it. He does feel like a different person but, of course, it takes a revelation of epic proportions for her to realize it is not in fact her brother-in-law.

She is wracked with guilt because she is caught off guard and finds herself caught between her head and her heart. Luciana believes she is quite practical in her morality - despite not being very worldly herself - so she’s struggling with budding love in her heart. But in her head, she knows this is wrong and that is why she stops things before they can get too far and tells her sister what’s going on.

Ephesus is rumored to be full of sorcery. Does Luciana think Antipholus has been possessed by a demon, or does she think he has simply lost his mind?

I think both Luciana and Adriana genuinely believe that Antipholus of Ephesus has lost his mind. The idea of sorcery in this play (as it has been through history) tends to be levied for the most part at the women of the play by the men of the play, who call the women “witches and sirens.” The exception is, of course, Dr. Pinch - and I would say the audience will need to join us and witness Dr. Pinch at work!

For Luciana, the thing that I find very delicious as an actor is navigating the internal question of whether Antipholus is really “mad” or truly “in his right senses” for the first time in his life. Luciana’s interaction with Antipholus within this supposed “madness” does bring a kind, thoughtful, and romantic energy to a man she thought she knew as her brother-in-law. Of course, she thinks it’s awful that he’s acting like he doesn’t know Adriana and is unmarried, but that doesn’t stop her from liking the man Antipholus of Syracuse is. Why does he seem so different and sweet and where does she go from here?

How would you describe Luciana's relationship with her sister, Adriana, especially since they have completely opposite views on marriage and submission? And how do you use your posture, voice, and movement in contrast to hers?

I think Bukola and I bring different qualities to our respective characters, but we are also playing sisters, so there is still a deep connection between us and I’m lucky to have been the Luciana to her Adriana before in our 2021 film. We have also done multiple shows together since 2019, so we play and explore really well together and find new things each time.

For Luciana, she is much more naïve and inexperienced compared to Adriana. She is also not pregnant - as Adriana is in our production - so there is still a lot of living she has to do. But I don’t necessarily see them as being in discord in their own relationship as sisters since they have a very close, loving, and supportive relationship. We don’t intentionally harm each other. Luciana leads with her naïveté but is well-meaning despite her words that may have some bite. I believe Adriana may have had similar views and rhetoric before being married, expecting a child, and knowing what it is to be in a relationship with a man who is working through his own loss and hurt.

In Act II, Scene 1, Luciana argues that men are masters of their females. Do you play this with earnest, traditional conviction, or is there room to subvert it with irony given the push for equality in modern relationships?

Well, it’s safe to say my personal views differ from those that she shares early in the play. I absolutely must play it with earnestness because I believe as actors the moment you see your character as wrong or unjustified or a villain, and you play that to the audience, you’re not being truthful and do the text a disservice. It is my job to be as earnest as I can be with an understanding of the time period of both our production and Shakespeare’s original play.

The behavior Luciana and our audience will see on display from many of the men in the production will challenge her proto “tradwife” views. The audience will see and take from that what they will, and I find that a modern audience of Angelenos will understand where the irony lies in what I’m saying as it relates to Melissa’s vision and our production as a whole. I also like to think that over the course of the play, Luciana herself experiences some enlightenment that is not only romantic, but also empowering for her.

Carene Rose Mekertichyan

How do you keep Luciana’s panic real while still allowing the audience to laugh at the absurdity?

The art of comedy and comedic acting is not playing the laugh. The moment I stop embodying the panic or frantic energy in earnestness is the moment we lose the audience. The absurdity and silliness in this production under Melissa’s incredible direction and staging will do all of the work of allowing the audience to hold multiple things at once while still laughing and being both entertained and moved emotionally.

When both sets of twins finally appear on stage together, what is Luciana’s physical and emotional reaction to realizing the man she loves is a completely different person?

I think it is a mixture of extreme joy and relief. Melissa has spoken with us a lot about reunions and losing and finding things, people, places, and even ourselves. I believe Luciana has felt a sense of loss in that she yearns for a relationship, marriage, and eventual family like her sister, which Lucinda has never had or experienced.

I think there was also fear that she could lose her sister in the course of all of the events that unfold in the play and I think there is so much relief and vindication in the fact that she did not betray her sister. Not just physically, but that she felt in her heart that she was betraying her sister because she couldn’t fight internal feelings of love for Antipholus. Knowing that they were twins and her gut feeling that he was different, special, and he is, in fact, her person, lifts the weight off her shoulders.

I believe that she also learns to put a little more faith in herself as a woman who is strong and really does know, feel, and understand things deeply because of her womanhood, not in spite of it. Her mind, heart, and body have value that is equal to that of a man.

If you could change one thing about how Luciana is portrayed, what would it be?

I wouldn’t change anything about Luciana. What Shakespeare does so well is the way he puts humanity on display! He uplifts different types of people and ways of living in a way that is universally accessible. It would be very boring as an actor to always portray someone who aligns 1000% with your lived experience and worldview. Without having a dynamic and complicated character in Luciana, who contrasts with her sister and goes on her own journey of discovery, we would lose that tension.

But if I absolutely had to make a change, it would be one we’ve already made in that she is described as having “golden hairs” and in our production that description has been changed to having “silken curls” because I am not blonde or white. I think it’s very beautiful that our audience will see a Shakespearean ensemble that reflects the diversity of Los Angeles.

Is there anything else you would like to share about the production?

It has been such a gift to play with this ensemble. What I really love about this play and Melissa‘s vision is that for every comedic bit and laugh out loud moment, there is a story that is incredibly heartfelt underlying it all. What more do you want during these trying times than a play that explores accountability and the repair of relationships through slapstick humor and bouncy original music?

Thanks so much to all three of you!  I look forward to seeing the show soon!

Independent Shakespeare Company will perform Comedy of Errors from August 5 - September 6, 2026, on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 7:00 pm in the upper Dell in the Old Zoo in Griffith Park. All performances and events are free, with donations gratefully accepted.

General Admission seating is on an open grassy area, first come, first served. We encourage free RSVP registration online at www.indieshakes.org to help ensure there’s space for everyone to enjoy the evening.

Audiences are invited to bring a picnic, a blanket to sit on or low seat beach chairs (allowed behind the blanket area). There are additional reserved, elevated seats available for each performance for $60 each. Please arrange in advance for accessible seating. Free parking is available at Merry Go Round Lot 2 & 3 with signs and guides to direct you to the performance area.

All photos courtesy of Independent Shakespeare Company

In addition to the mainstage performances, community engagement events include:

Climate Action Night (August 9): Special guests will distribute information and lead pre-show activities. There will be weekly climate challenges on social media starting on Climate Justice Night July 11.

Director’s Salon with Melissa Chalsma @ 6pm (August 14) Bring your questions and curiosity for a lively pre-show discussion about the art and alchemy of live theater.

SELAH Night (August 16)  Audiences will join the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition in assembling hygiene kits for our unhoused neighbors.

ASL Interpreted Performance by Pro Bono ASL (August 21)

Players in the Park @ 6pm (August 22) This popular family workshop series takes place before the performance and is for learners of all ages. Audiences will be led in performance exercises and learn more about the plot, characters, and themes of the play directly from Indie Shakes ensemble members.

SWINGING SOIRÉE Themed Dress Up Night (August 29): Sashay into the park at our Swinging Soirée dress up night! Don your best 1940’s-1950’s inspired garb or come in your chicest contemporary clothes, whatever makes you feel your most dapper self.

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