Shakespeare is coming to the University of California, Santa Cruz. The upcoming February performances of Comedy of Errors at the Theater Arts eXperimental Theater embody comedy and heartfelt performances. Set in the first half of the 20th century during the Vaudeville and silent movie era, this new performance showcases the adaptability and timelessness of Shakespeare’s work.
The classic play is based on a Roman comedy by Plautus. It follows two sets of twins who were separated by a shipwreck. The show’s director Patty Gallagher, a professor in the Department of Performance, Play and Design (PPD) who specializes in Shakespeare, co-starred in a production of the same show with Shakespeare Santa Cruz a few years ago. Of her long history performing the works of the Bard, Gallagher says, “every time you step into a production of Shakespeare, it will always be different.”
For the current production, Gallagher teamed up with David Lee Cuthbert, a fellow PPD professor who has worked on Broadway, to design the sets and lighting. Cuthbert praises Gallagher as a fantastic collaborator: “Everyone can throw out an idea, and if it’s good it’ll get integrated. Her directing style is really to create an environment where everyone feels they have the ability to contribute.”
In creating a Shakespearean work on a college campus, Gallagher inspires her students and future audience members to remain undaunted by the poetry. Cuthbert shared similar encouragement saying: “Shakespeare doesn’t have to be intimidating, and that great works of art stand up to the test of time and can be reinterpreted.”
February 14, 15, 20, 21 & 22 – 7:30 PM
February 16 & 23 – 3:00 PM
Theater Arts Center
eXperimental Theater
UC Santa Cruz
453 Kerr Road
Santa Cruz, California 95064
Tickets Available on Eventbrite
Open to the public
Parking by permit, ParkMobile, or $5 cash/credit via the on-site parking attendant
Arts Lot 126 is the closest parking lot to the event