October 9, 2019
The East Texas Baptist University Department of Theatre Arts concluded its production of Comedy of Errors last weekend after a successful four-show run from Thursday, October 3 to Sunday, October 6. The performances, directed by Associate Professor of Theatre Arts John Dement, consisted of many firsts for the students involved.
“I was hesitant to do a Shakespeare play because I’ve never been in one before,” ETBU sophomore Caleb Helfrick, who portrayed the character of Duke Solinus, said. “The language intimidates people. It turns out that auditioning for the play was the smartest theatrical decision I could’ve made. I’ve enjoyed fitting into my character and watching my fellow actors do the same.”
The show, which takes place over the course of a day in a colonial Caribbean town, centers on two long-lost twin brothers and their twin servants who suddenly find themselves in the same town mistakenly mixed up in each other’s lives. Director John Dement purposefully brought out the more comedic and contemporary aspects of the play, incorporating live Foley effects, recognizable music cues, and rigorous physical humor, to appeal to a modern audience.
“Many feel that they should like Shakespeare, but secretly do not. Everybody wants you to ‘do a Shakespeare’, but nobody wants to come see it,” Dement commented. “I was in college before I knew he wrote comedy. The cast, the crew, and I wanted the audience to enjoy a Shakespearean play, to understand everything, and to laugh at the action and dialogue because it’s funny, not because they feel like they have to.”
ETBU theatre students also handled all the behind the scenes production, working in many capacities including lighting, scenic design, costumes and makeup, and publicity.
“Working on costumes for this show has been incredibly fun,” ETBU junior and head of the costume crew Audrey Staples said. “Integrating the pirate theme was a fun challenge, and getting to create wardrobes from scratch or altering costume pieces and transforming them into something completely different was very rewarding and educational.”
Comedy of Errors was designed as a touring production. The set was built with touring in mind, and the cast and crew expect to perform the show at several schools in Marshall and the surrounding area within the coming weeks. Taking the production on the road will also serve as recruitment for the University, as the Department of Theatre Arts looks forward to continued growth in years to come.
For more information about ETBU’s 2019-2020 Theatre Productions, visit www.etbu.edu/theatre.