BWW Blog: Amanda Grillo - Luciana's Outlook: An Exclusive First Look at The Comedy of Errors

Welcome to the first behind the scenes article for The Comedy of Errors, presented by West Haven Council on the Arts. This production is being put on by the adult theatre group called Theater West. This program has been in place for about seven years and most recently has gotten into doing an annual Shakespeare production on the green in West Haven, CT.

This will be my third production with this group and I couldn't be happier to continue working with them. I have the pleasure to say that (as you can tell by the title) I have earned the role of Luciana and will be taking you on my journey in this production. My previous roles with the group include Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream and the Christmas Angel in our Sparkling Winter Spectacular cabaret.

For those that are not familiar with The Comedy of Errors, here is a brief synopsis of the show. A family is separated in a shipwreck. Twins that share the name Antipholus are separated at a very young age with no recollection of each other. Each twin is accompanied in life by twin slaves that share the name Dromio. Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse travel to Ephesus, where their identical twin brothers' reside. Both sets of identical twins are in Ephesus and soon become easily mistaken for one another, in particular being confused by wives and merchants, causing hilarity and chaos to ensue. Want to know more? Well, you'll just have to come to the show and find out!

I was recently able to discuss the show with our director, Shawn E. Murray, who is not only the director, but also is our event coordinator and portrays Antipholus of Ephesus. On top of it all, this man of many hats is also the Vice President of the West Haven Council on the Arts (WHCA). He has been with the group for two years and when asked about his time WHCA, he shares, "When I first joined WHCA to direct my inaugural show, I didn't realize what a major part of me it would become. Now, as I begin work on my third production with this group, I view it more as my family."

One of the aspects I find most interesting in this production is Murray's choice to set this Bard classic in the 1920's. When I inquired about this creative choice, he disclosed, "The 20's were an integral time in both culture and women's history. Oppression came from many angles, and women were first fighting for their right to be something more than trophies. What came out of it was a stronger, more creative and independent culture. The Comedy of Error's is, at its core, a light comedy about the sameness we fail to see in each other, against all odds."

The process has only just begin, as we now head into the second week of rehearsals. Murray shares that, "[It'll be] a cute take on a classic comedic styling of Shakespeare." Show days are August 12th and 13th, so come see what all the hype is about. It'll be the bee's knees! Stay tuned for more behind the scenes access.

Coming Soon: Luciana's Outlook: A Character Study

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