By John Lyle Belden

If one is to genuinely have fun with a work by William Shakespeare, it’s hard to go wrong with “The Comedy of Errors.”

This early work by the Bard is chock full of the kind of confusions that are universal hallmarks of comedy to this day. Therefore – and “wherefore” – Indy Shakes adapted it for their summer outdoor production at Taggart Memorial Amphitheatre in Riverside Park, directed by Rob and Jen Johansen, serious actors who are no strangers to getting goofy on stage.

Taking it perhaps a step further than even crowd-pleaser Shakespeare (who was known to hire clowns), the play also includes members of (and “games” by) Act a Foo Improv Crew, featuring Daniel A. Martin.

The setting is Daytona Beach in 1984. Because reasons to start the plot, interlopers from Venice Beach are not allowed on pain of death. Caught by the police (Martin), Egeon, Merchant of Venice (Zack Neiditch), must either give up 1,000 coins or his head. In a bid for mercy, he tells the ruling Duke (Joshua Owens) his story:

He and his wife had identical twin boys, meanwhile an impoverished woman had such twins of her own, which they took on as companions and servants to their own sons. Later, during a sea voyage, a Tempest split the boat, leaving each parent alone with one each of the pairs of boys. In the process of his long search for his wife, Egeon lost track of his son Antipholous (Andrew Martin) and servant Dromio (Hannah Boswell) in Boca Raton, and thought they may be in Daytona. 

You see where this is going. Conveniently also in Daytona Beach are an Antipholus (Carlos Medina Maldonado) and manservant Dromio (Kelsey VanVoorst). Our young master has a household complete with wife Adriana (Alicia Sims), her sister Luciana (Kelli Thomas), and kitchen maid Luce (Cynthia Collins), who is sweet on Daytona’s Dromio. And remember, thanks to the magic of wearing the same outfit (just go with it), the Antipholuses and Dromios look exactly alike.

It doesn’t take long for this play to live up to its title, with hilarious criss-cross encounters between characters and intrigues that involve others including Ennis Adams as an impatient merchant and Scot Greenwell as Angelo the goldsmith. The gags also take advantage of improvised moments, 80’s and Florida references, and Shakespearean in-jokes like crying “Wherefore art thou, Dromio?!”

Finally, after a botched exorcism and Scooby-Doo-esque chase scenes, sanity is restored by order of the Duke with the aid of a local Abbess (Lynne Perkins).

While this comedy does involve a fairly simple plot for Shakespeare (fine by me, to be honest), I couldn’t help but notice a greater emphasis in the poetic dialogue, of its rhythm and rhyme. Indy Shakes artistic director Ryan Artzberger says this is indicative of Shakespeare exploring the use of verse in his early works, employing rhyming couplets to deliver the punchlines – alongside his famous puns and inuendo.

Performances are first-rate throughout the cast. Martin makes a major contribution with his minor role. I’ve seen Maldonado excel wherever he’s cast – from serious stuff to kids’ shows – and he naturally knocks it out of the park here. Edges of drama here and there, such as Greenwell’s nervousness with Angelo on the hook for a lot of money (a gold chain being on the neck of the wrong Antipholus) or Sims and Thomas as sisters feeling they are being played for fools, enhance the comic stakes for greater hilarity. Boswell and VanVoorst thrive in the absurdity.

Pardon my burying the lead here, but admission to this outdoor spectacle is free! Indy Shakes does need patrons to register their tickets for their headcount, and for a price, VIP tables are available. Remaining performances are Thursday through Saturday evenings, July 31-Aug. 2. For information and to register, visit indyshakes.com.