I saw it this evening and thought that it was a wonderful production overall. Setting The Comedy of Errors in Upstate New York isn't incredibly inventive or revolutionary but it seems to work well enough, though no one seems to be sure what sort of New York accent to act with and how much it should be emphasized. The gun toting mobster aura of the mob works well enough with the script and is done largely successfully. Having each twin be played by the same actor is also somewhat common in productions I've seen recently but it usually fails miserably as one of the conceits of The Comedy of Errors is that the audience actually does know what's going on and can distinguish which twin is which and suspends their disbelief that the characters can't. Having the same actor play the twins has killed this and left the play muddled and hard to difficult in a community theater production I saw a few years back. Here, the characterizations are such that I was never truly confused as to which twin was which and the actors pull off the fast changing and constant exiting and entering with tremendous success. It also demands and elicits some very innovative and humorous staging by Daniel Sullivan.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Hamish Linklater are both phenomenal. Ferguson is lovable, funny, and seems like the ideal fit to play Dromio. Linklater took a bit longer to get used to as he played the role a bit more subtly and reserved than I was expecting but ultimately he was incredibly funny and his last monologue at the end was one of the highlights of the production. It's quite evident Ferguson and Linklater have worked together numerous times as they have incredible chemistry.
Emily Bergl is funny and well-cast as Adriana and Robert Creighton stands out of the supporting cast for his role as Angelo.
Perhaps what's most striking though about this production is how well it worked overall and how good Shakespeare in the Park proves to be year in and year out at making the works hold up and appear as new (even if this year's particular concept wasn't as unique as past Delacorte shows have been.) The Comedy of Errors is one of Shakespeare's funniest plays for modern audiences and this cast certainly delivers in that department.
My only minor gripes were that the lighting and set design weren't quite as beautiful as I've come to expect in the past at the Delacorte. The set is relatively simple and pretty enough but it never used the elements and the natural surroundings and scenery in ways that As You Like It did masterfully. Part of the beauty of being in Central Park is the way the shows often are integrated with the nature around them and here that was missing. Also, the lighting was relatively simple and there were no moments that I was completely in awe of the beauty of wonderful theatrical lighting like Natasha Katz managed successfully last year (the image of the deep blue lights bathing the fire in the forest is still in my head.)
Almost forgot to mention, the music and choreography is lovely and only adds to and never detracts from the show. It gives it a certain liveliness and was very well executed.
The show is in tremendous shape for a third preview performance and I hope to return back to this production. It's classic Shakespeare in the Park done well: a wonderful cast, a beautiful theater on a warm summer night, and the timeless words of the Bard.
Scratch and claw for every day you're worth!
Make them drag you screaming from life, keep dreaming
You'll live forever here on earth.
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