UNCW turns Shakespeare into a musical ’Comedy’

Worlds collide, on multiple levels, in a lively production of Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” running through Sunday at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Not only do two long-separated pairs of twins reunite, well after confounding and occasionally enraging the people they come into contact with. But also, as imagined by director, professor and Shakespeare expert Christopher Marino for UNCW’s theater department, the action takes place in a turn-of-the-century New York City that has wormholes into other eras, including a land of steampunk psychedelia with a Screamin’ Jay Hawkins soundtrack.

It’s a fine, at times fascinating production, quick-moving, good-looking and filled with music as it builds toward a satisfying conclusion with an all-student cast. Even better, Marino makes significant but smart cuts to a script that’s already Shakespeare’s shortest to bring things in at less than two hours (with intermission) while capturing the essence of the story.

Is it funny? Not really, but whether that’s because Shakespeare’s sense of humor doesn’t do it for modern ears, or some other reason, it’s hard to say. In any case, other aspects of the production make up for the general lack of laughs.

The play gets off to a strong start thanks to Hunter Jarman, who, as the sentenced-to-die Aegeon of Syracuse, sets us on our journey with some clearly delivered backstory about his twin sons and their twin servants, separated in a shipwreck lo these many years ago. His tale is aided by some impressive, black-and-white projections that look like clips from the silent movie era.

The setting is Ephesus, where no inhabitants from Syracuse may enter under penalty of death, hence Aegeon’s predicament. We soon find out what happened to Aegeon’s sons when Antipholus of Syracuse (Davis Wood, playing it like a Southern gent let loose in the city) and his “man,” Dromio of Syracuse, appear and are mistaken for the Antipholus and Dromio who have long lived in Ephesus (Jack Towner and Katie Anderson, both solid, respectively).

As much as any actor in the show, Brandi Simmons brings comic life to Dromio of Ephesus, not only finding unexpected humor in her lines but also infusing her character with an is-this-real? wonderment at the absurdity of the situation.

Mitchell Nobles brings a De Niro-like flair to the accidentally cheated jeweler Angelo, and Erin Sullivan and Renee Hapeman convey a believably sisterly tension as Adriana and Luciana, respectively, as they they parse the insanity that seemingly besets Adriana’s husband, Antipholus of Ephesus.

The use of music to emphasize lines and moods is outstanding, with music director Adrian Varnam and musician Bob Russell creating a Tin Pan Alley soundtrack that occasionally morphs into French cabaret or that aforementioned Screamin’ Jay Hawkins soul shouter, “I Put a Spell on You.” It all contributes to a vibe, mentioned in the play, of things being off kilter and out of time.

Randall Enlow’s excellent set conveys six distinct rooms -- a tailor, a jeweler, the courtesan’s quarters and more -- with one room that rolls out and spins to transform into various locations. Rachel Levy’s lighting does a nice job of isolating asides while adding dramatic heft to Aegeon’s speech and a sense of otherworldliness to the musical sequences.

And Mark Sorensen’s eye-catching costumes have fun with a grab bag of styles that include everything from seersucker to African wrap skirts, one of the show’s many colorful explosions that result from the collision of worlds depicted on stage.

Contact John Staton at 910-343-2343 or John.Staton@StarNewsOnline.com.

What: “The Comedy of Errors,” by William Shakespeare, presented by UNCW Department of Theatre

When: 8 p.m. Feb. 27-29, 2 p.m. March 1

Where: Mainstage Theatre in the Cultural Arts Building, UNCW campus

Info: Tickets are $15; $12 for seniors, UNCW alums, faculty and staff; and $6 for students.

Details: 910-962-3500 or UNCW.edu/arts/tickets.html

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