The Edison Stagelight Players will present William Shakespeare’s The Comedy
of Errors directed by Matt Beisner. Performances will be held October 25 through November 3 in the Robinson Theater at Edison State Community College’s Piqua Campus.
Separated in infancy, two pairs of twins are now in the same city, each unaware of the presence of their long-lost counterparts. Hilarity mounts as the look-alikes are repeatedly mistaken for each other. Widely regarded as Shakespeare’s earliest work, The Comedy
of Errors is the closest thing to a modern era sitcom written by the bard.
According to Director Matt Beisner, the timing was right for this comedic play. “We decided to do The Comedy of Errors simply because it’s so much fun. It’s easily the silliest play Shakespeare ever wrote. Last season, we had the tagline “A season of Poe and Woe.” Both
our fall and spring plays were dark and tragic. This year we wanted to start the year with something as far from that as possible.”
“This play is hilarious! The plot of The Comedy of Errors very much resembles a modern-day sitcom featuring two sets of twins along with multiple instances of mistaken identity. The audience can expect to experience something that requires minimal
thinking. All you need to do is be prepared to laugh, and you will certainly have a great time.”
Beisner is taking a more relaxed approach to directing The Comedy of Errors. “As the director, I’ve told my actors that there are no rules. They have my permission to be as silly and ridiculous as they want, and I will “pull them back” if I need to. This freedom permits
the actors to find as much comedy as they can. So far, it is working out perfectly.”
The cast and crew will feature many returning Stagelight Players, with the addition of a few new faces. “It’s very exciting to constantly expand our Edison Stagelight family.”
Performances will be held Friday, October 25; Saturday, October 26; Friday, November 1; Saturday, November 2, at 7:30 p.m. each night. A matinee performance will be held on Sunday, November 3, at 3:00 p.m.
Tickets for the show are seven dollars for adults, five dollars for students, and three dollars for seniors and are available for purchase with cash at the door. Children under five are not permitted into the theater during the performance. For more information, call
937.778.8600.
Cast:
- Kyle Casey of Troy as Antipholus of Syracuse
- James Pezzimenti of Troy as Antipholus of Ephesus
- James Maloney of Troy as Dromio of Syracuse
- Sean McSwain of Jackson Center as Dromio of Ephesus
- Emily Beisner of Troy as Adriana
- Bridget Collins of Greenville as Luciana
- Brandon White of Sidney as Angelo
- Dean Shipley of Tipp City as Duke Solinas, the Sheriff
- Chris Garner of Piqua as Aegeon
- Jessica Poeppelman of Fort Loramie as Aemilia
- Jocelynn Garner of Piqua as Courtezan
- Daniele Griffis of Tipp City as First Merchant
- Kyle Flaute of Houston as Second Merchant
- Bob Blindauer of Sidney as Balthazar, A Merchant
- Brock Hartzell of Piqua as Jailer
- Raquel Hartzell of Piqua as Luce
- Augustine Gonzalez of Piqua as Officer, the Sheriff’s Deputy
- Austin Swigert of Houston as Officer, the Sheriff’s Deputy
- Enrique Rivera-Cerezo of Dayton as Pinch, a Schoolmaster
- Ashton Beisner of Troy as Boy Servant
- Aria Casey of Troy as Girl Servant
- Justin Flaute of Houston as Ensemble
- Carla Simmons of Piqua as Ensemble
- Emmit Klackner of Greenville as Ensemble
Crew
- Director/Producer Matt Beisner of Troy
- Assistant Director Chris Garner of Piqua
- Makeup/Hair/Props Coordinator Emily Beisner of Troy
- Stage Manager/Sound Designer Jen Scott of Sidney
- Costumes Lisa Snider of Troy
- Costumes William Loudermilk of Dayton
- Lighting Designer Ben Bullock of Yellow Springs
- Set/Prop Helper Melinda Spivey of Tipp City
- Makeup/Hair Jeremy Weber of New Carlisle