William Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors is a play that has truly stood the test of time. The Shakespearean classic is still performed by theatrical troupes around the world, even 417 years after its first recorded performance at Gray's Inn in London. Why? Because its story brings together so many interesting narrative arcs. And although you may not immediately associate Shakespeare's works with belly laughs, The Comedy of Errors is a really funny play whose physical aspects allow it to be interpreted and innovated upon in unique ways. This past weekend, the Brandeis Theater Company did just that in its opening performance of the 2011-12 theatrical season.

Adapted and directed by Bill Barclay, actor and resident music director at Shakespeare & Company in Lennox, Mass., The Comedy of Errors was more than just a conventional reading and enactment of the timeless text. Instead, it was an interpretation that allowed the story to come to life in a multitude of artistic ways—through the actors and actresses, original music, puppetry and dance. By bringing so many facets of the arts to life through the short play, Barclay kept the action fresh and exciting throughout its entire 90-minute run time.

Performed in the Laurie Theater in the Spingold Theater Center, its intimate setting allowed the audience to interact and engage with the performance in ways that a larger theater may have prevented. Before the beginning of the play, a lavishly dressed Ben Gold '13 walked around to different members of the audience as his character Duke Solinus of Ephesus, commenting on their dress as well as asking opinions of the audience, such as their thoughts on his frilly shirt. Followed by two lady servants, Alexandra Patch '14 and Stephanie Ohebshalom '15, and watched over by a very intimidating-looking officer, Josh Bookman '12 with axe in hand, the prelude allowed audience members to lose themselves in the hilarious vanity of the Duke and subsequently flow into the opening of the play.

At its core, The Comedy of Errors is a story about a case of confused identity. The play centers around four characters: two sets of identical twins separated at birth. The first two, Dotan and Aidan Horowitz '12, both named Antipholus, are brothers born to Aegnon, merchant of Syracuse, and his wife Aemilia (Worcester Shakespeare Theater member Chuck Schwager and Prof. Elizabeth Terry (THA), respectively, both showing their true thespian skills). The other twins are the respective Antipholus' servants—both named Dromio (Zach and Jared Greenberg '12). Accidentally separated at birth, Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse grew up with their father, while Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus grew up with their mother. Over the course of one day in Ephesus, the Syracusians who traveled to Ephesus to find their long-lost twins engage in a series of mishaps and misadventures with a slew of quirky characters, such as town merchants (Sara Wiesenfeld '12, Ohebshalom and Patch), Adriana and Luciana, the wife and sister-in-law of Antipholus of Ephesus (Nicole Carlson '14 and Leah Carnow '12, respectively), a Courtezan (Leila Stricker '13) and a Conjurer (community member Jonathan Von Mering). Needless to say, the plot is complex and the constant character shifts are sometimes tough to keep up with, but the overall strong physical acting and clarity ultimately allowed the plotline to flow.

Beyond the acting, the scenes, costumes, lighting and music were the stars of the show. While seemingly simple at first, the elegant scenery, designed by Kate Southern '12, was composed of four wooden columns and a green floral door with a white cloth. The basic backdrop transformed into multiple scenes throughout the play and took advantage of its limited space to "move" the actors from the outsides of palaces to markets and homes. Prof. Michael Chybowski's (THA) lighting cues—from the tints of light on the white curtains, to spotlights over characters during their monologues—set an ambience for each scene, while the tribal score performed live by a talented cast of musicians emphasized both the dramatic and whimsical moments of the story.

One of the most incredible aspects of the show, though, was the masterful costumes. Designed by Brandeis graduate school alumnus Julie Rautenstrauch, each outfit was filled with color and style that immersed the audience in the setting of the play.

Overall, The Comedy of Errors marked a skillful opening for the Brandeis Theater Company's season. Aside from a few attempts to modernize the vibe of the Shakespearean play (such as characters pounding each others' fists) that took away from the classic vibe, the actors and actresses all showed their skills in conveying the confusing tale. Barclay's interpretation was funny, clever and, most importantly, interesting. After 90 minutes of olde English, the full cast came to stage to a roaring applause—a reaction that was no error of the audience.