The Comedy of Errors: Laughter in the Park

Shakespeare in the Park is one of New York City's most beloved cultural institutions. Every summer, the Public Theater puts on two Shakespearean plays in Central Park's gorgeous outdoor Delacorte Theater, often featuring film stars or well-known TV actors who are on summer hiatus. And the best part is that the tickets are absolutely free to the public. Sure there's a lot of luck and/or labor involved in getting a ticket, but it is worth it.

Last night I was lucky enough to win a pair of tickets via the virtual drawing to see The Comedy of Errors. The show stars Hamish Linklater (who starred in The New Adventures of Old Christine and was in the Broadway production of Seminar), and Modern Family's Jesse Tyler Ferguson. The two of them are Shakespeare in the Park regulars - I previously saw them in A Winter's Tale in 2010 and they were hilarious in the few scenes they had together. Now they have the chance to lead this hysterical play and delight the audience with their well-honed comedic timing.

The play itself is a comic masterpiece about two sets of twins who were separated at birth. Both sets of twins also share identical names, which leads to mass confusion when they find themselves in the same city and keep running into strangers who claim to know them. Usually each twin is played by a separate actor, but in this production, Linklater and Ferguson play both twins, which adds to the energy of each scene. Their performances are nuanced and hilarious, ensuring that you always remember which twin is which (a most impressive feat), and they always look like they are having the time of their lives. 

A series of complications and misunderstandings ensue in typical Shakespearean fashion and the stakes get higher and higher as these hapless twins are suspected of everything from theft to infidelity, to insanity and demonic possession because they are behaving so unpredictably. Ferguson's two twins are alternately jolly and cynical, jokey and grim, and his expressions and gestures take the material to another level. Towards the end, Linklater has to deliver a long monologue that summarizes every single inexplicable event that he has endured that day and he delivers it at an explosive pace that would make even Shakespeare proud. 

The Comedy of Errors is a must-see production. At 90 minutes, it is also a particularly sleek and zippy introduction to Shakespeare for anyone who can't abide long runtimes. So line up at dawn at Central Park or enter the virtual ticket drawing. You won't be sorry.