The Comedy of Errors

3 Stars: ...you will, I think, be greatly amused. Which is the entire point. There are copious amounts of comedic invention, and the zany Alex Goodrich develops a relationship with the audience that's wholly in keeping with the traditions of classic farce. With his big head of hair and hound-dog demeanor, Goodrich walks off with the show, despite the very fine efforts of Erik Hellman (an ideal dry foil), a wide-eyed Stacy Stoltz and the hilarious Elizabeth Ledo (who has many a bizarre character here) to hang on to the scruff of its neck. The pace is breakneck indeed, the tone a savvy mix of the outrageous and the sardonic, and the comedy exquisitely timed.

People who like silly things but dramatic things would like this play. They treated everybody badly, but it was funny. I think this play should be ages six and up because I was six when I saw it. You should really go to this play because you would like it even if you don’t like Shakespeare because it is not all the way Shakespeare. After you see this, I think you might like Shakespeare more.

4 Stars: Given the combination of free rein over the public-domain Bard and freely availing himself of Court’s big-spender budget, it’s safe to say Graney’s gone to town, and to deliriously funny effect. His one-act distillation of Shakespeare’s winning, twinning comedy of mistaken identity employs six actors and Vep’s quick-change expertise to enhance the ridiculousness of Comedy’s plot, but also to bring out its darker aspects.

Trust Sean Graney to have the audacity to restore Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors to its full, gloriously stoopider than stoopid sublime inanity. This is a one-joke show, inarguably the dumbest thing Shakespeare ever wrote. And by embracing its ridiculousness for his Court Theatre production – by piling on the puerile humor, Three Stooges-worthy slapstick, pandering audience participation, one-liners not worthy of a lounge lizard and song ‘n dance schtick so cringingly awful they make the first round of America’s Got Talent look like a collective of Nureyevs, he has created the funniest show of the season. Maybe of the year. Maybe of my entire life as I know it thus far. Really. How funny? Hi-fcuking-larious, that’s how funny. Somewhere, dare we say it (Yes. We do.) Shakespeare is laughing his arse off.

Michael McKean had it right in Spinal Tap: there is a fine line between stupid and clever. Sean Graney's version of Shakespeare's silliest play walks it with the finesse of a Wallenda. Graney's subversive directorial conceit--one actor (Erik Hellman) plays twin aristocrats and second (Alex Goodrich) plays their twin "personal assistants" where normally four actors would be deployed--underscores the essential implausibility of the mistaken-identity plot. Purists may cavil at Graney's wholesale deconstruction of the text, but the cast pull off the hijinks with generous high spirits and precision. "This could be fun. Where is this going?" asks one of the twins early on. The answer is round and round--and I enjoyed every dizzyingly ludicrous moment.

If you are wanting to do something new, or just laugh, I fully recommend stopping by Court Theatre to see The Comedy of Errors while it is still playing. If you miss it, then I am sorry, because great plays aren't as common as your favorite television show. The entire show was made possible with the help of raw talent - director, actor, and even the behind the scenes crew. Yet again, Chicago has not failed to disappoint me with what it has to offer.

Sean Graney is both a genius and Insane! While the play is funny and a classic in the eyes of the Shakespeare lovers, what Graney has done is add the wild ingredients of using just six actors to play all the roles with some of the quickest costume changes one has ever seen on any stage- an amazing feat and the four stagehands/dressers who get this accomplished are indeed entitled to more than just a curtain call for their brilliant work, they should be listed in the program as this play could not succeed without them.

No, this is not your typical Shakespeare! No ,this is not what you might have expected at The Court Theatre! This is sheer genius on the part of Graney and the Board of Directors at The Court.This is a theatrical event and classic farce as Graney sees it ,and I for one loved every second of it! The only problem with this production, as I see it, is that it will only run through October 17th, so I suggest that you get on the stick, so you can see the shtick at The Court Theatre.

There is a wacky energy here as the virtuosic actors run themselves ragged with great aplomb and engage in the sort of improvisatory wizardry that is a Chicago hallmark. Plus, any adaptation that cuts this silly play down to an intermissionless romp is OK with me.