A Comedy of Errors

This article originally appeared in the November 26, 2003 edition of the Delaware Valley News and is reprinted with their permission.

 Play’s the thing for Frenchtown kids 

By John Monteith

After a recent “stumble-through” of Shakespeare’s “A Comedy of Errors” at Frenchtown’s Edith Ort Thomas Elementary School, the director reviewed his notes and advised one of the actors to put “more ghetto” into his performance.

 “I never thought I’d write this note for a Shakespeare play,” commented River Union Stage Company actor and director Michael MacCauley, who has volunteered his services for the production.

 As he had explained to his cast earlier, a “stumble-through” is the first rehearsal of a play from start to finish.

 Following up on a presentation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” last spring that amazed many viewers because it remained true to the language of Shakespeare even though the performers were fourth and fifth graders, MacCauley will stage “A Comedy of Errors” next Friday, Dec. 5.

“It’s wacky,” he remarked about the tale of shipwrecked twins and mistaken identities.

“It’s called a play, not a work,” he addressed the kids at the beginning of the rehearsal, “so let’s have fun with this.”

 In that same spirit, MacCauley is presenting one scene with the dialogue delivered in “rap” cadence, and with the players imitating the strutting of rap-music entertainers. Hence the call for “more ghetto.”

 MacCauley asked another actor to view a “Twilight Zone” tape and attempt to emulate the distinctive voice of Rod Serling for a passage he will deliver.

Staging Shakespeare at the elementary and middle school levels, said Chief School Administrator Joyce Brennan, broadens the horizons of the student-actors.

 All the students expressed appreciation for the break from normal classroom routine that the production represented, and said they enjoyed working with MacCauley.

 “He doesn’t treat us like little kids,” said Pat Zayas.  “He doesn’t jump on us.  We do it over until we get it right.”

 “Caroline, more anger,” MacCauley directed during a review of the run-through, tensing his jaw and gesturing to demonstrate how Caroline might achieve the desired effect. 

Waving his arms, clenching his fists and kneeling, rising and stretching, he offered up such comments as, “Kyle, threaten Sarah more,” and “ Your voice is going faster than your body is.”

 There will be two performances of “A Comedy of Errors” on Dec. 5, at 1:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.

 In addition to performing, the eight graders assumed production chores.

 The cast and crew includes: Anna de la Motte as Lucianna; Robert DenBleyker as Pinch, Solinus and the assistant stage manager; Lin Li as Merchant and the props master; Matthew Lunden as Antipholus of Ephesus; Caroline Maloney as Adriana; Brittany Meeter as Dromio of Ephesus and the costume master; Erika Myhre as Courtesan and the publicity director; Katherine Petschauer as Aemilia and the script master; Sarah Scott as Dromio of Syracuse and the costume master; David Skerbetz as Merchant, Officer and the assistant stage manager; Kyle Slack as Antipholus of Syracuse; Christian Wagner as Aegeon and awning master; Patrick Zayas as Angelo and the assistant to the director and production assistant.