SPT's Youth Ensemble to Stage THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, 8/23-25

Seattle Public Theater's (SPT) Youth Ensemble presents a delightfully Appalachian take on William Shakespeare's doubly absurd romp, The Comedy of Errors.

Four [Free] performances: Friday, August 23 @ 7pm, Saturday, August 24 @ 2pm & 7pm, Sunday, August 25 @ 2pm. Donations are encouraged, and are used for scholarships and support of SPT's theater education programs.

The Comedy of Errors is sponsored by PacMed.

Not one, but two sets of misplaced identical twins meet in one of Shakespeare's silliest of comedies. Uprooting the setting from the Mediterranean opulence of Greece and transporting it across the ocean to the ruggedly rural Appalachia, the play promises double doses of wordplay, swordplay, and slapstick.

"In The Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare makes full use of the 'obvious' twin comedy," says SPT Director and Teaching Artist, Emily Purington. "For a younger theater ensemble the physical comedy and chaotic confusion make the play really accessible. As an audience, it's the kind of comedy that will make you face-palm and chuckle in your seat despite the rising absurdity."

As for the Appalachian setting, Purington isn't approaching The Comedy of Errors with an eye to historical accuracy. Her take is more like historical fan-fiction. "We'll be treating it more as an homage. Appalachia is a place full of such rich stories and rugged history that we'll be drawing inspiration from everything from the Hatfields and the McCoys, riverboat gamblers and coal-miners to moonshine runners, old-time music, and square dancing-all the while looking at that harsh Appalachian way of life and the melancholic images we associate with the region and culture. I've been asking why we tell stories, and what's the value of a good laugh when times are toughest. Juxtaposing this silly farce with a place of rather bleak history is going to be a fascinating exploration."

Directed by Emily Purington, The Comedy of Errors features the acting talents of Aaron Sterne, Aliza Cosgrove, Daniel Windus, Eileen MacDonald, Finn Hammen, Isobel Jorgensen, Junia Paulus, Madeleine Kopf-Patterson, Marin Sullivan, Nate Mascis, Nora Hammen, Rachel Rosenbloom, and Ruby-Rose Gonzalez. The production is Assistant Directed by Zach Sanders and Stage Managed by Olivia Sterne with the additional talents of Sophia Strabo (Assistant Stage Manager), Stacie Purington (Lighting Design), and Katherine Draves (Run Crew).

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