Vaudeville Mayhem Takes Over Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors

Akron, OH — The University of Akron (UA) Theatre Program opens its 2015-2016 season with a vaudeville-inspired production of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, which will feature broad physical comedy, slapstick, clowning, and other surprises from the world of the variety entertainment era. Performances of The Comedy of Errors are Nov. 5-7 & 12-14 at 7:30pm and Nov. 8 at 2:00 pm at Sandefur Theatre in Guzzetta Hall.

In addition, high school students registered for UA’s Fall 2015 High School Drama Day will attend a special matinee performance on Nov. 14.

Tickets for The Comedy of Errors are $12 for general admission; $10 for seniors and UA faculty, staff and alumni; and $6 for students. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Guzzetta Hall is at 139 Buchtel Ave. For tickets, call the ticket office at (330) 972-7895. For more information on the production or UA’s High School Drama Day visit www.uakron.edu/dtaa or www.facebook/TheArtsStartHere.

UA alumnus Terence Cranendonk directs The Comedy of Errors as a demonstration of the UA Theatre Program’s commitment to physical theatre training. Cranendonk graduated from the Dell’Arte School of Physical Theatre where he studied clowning, circus arts, acrobats, melodrama, commedia dell’arte, and other physical theatre techniques.

Shakespeare’s hilarious farce begins when a young man and his servant arrive in town unaware it’s the home of their identical brothers separated at birth. When everyone starts seeing double, it doesn’t take long before mistaken identities lead to furious wives, confused mistresses, scandalized family members, and general mayhem.

The Theatre Arts Program at The University of Akron equips undergraduate and graduate students with a broad knowledge of theatre arts and fundamental practical skills in order to prepare them to address the emerging issues and challenges of the theatre profession and a diverse and vibrant society. The Theatre Arts Program provides high quality educational and artistic experiences that enhance the cultural lives of all students at The University of Akron, as well as the residents of the greater Akron community and the Northeast Ohio region.

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