Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, MArCH 3, 2023 Shakespeare play hits Saugus stage Theatre Company of Saugus opens two-weekend performance of ‘The Comedy of Errors’ tonight (Editor’s Note: The following info is from a press release issued by the Theatre Company of Saugus this week.) D id you miss celebrating Mardi Gras last week? You can still catch it in the sunny resort town of Ephesus, starting tonight (Friday, March 3), when the Theatre Company of Saugus (TCS) opens their production of William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors.” Enjoy the celebrations and laugh at the confusion as you try to figure out which of four twins has the gold chain, the rope, the ring, the father, the wife, the girlfriend, the fiancée, the sister-in-law, the bat, the sword, the madness! TCS presents “The Comedy of Errors,” one of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays. Performances are the first two weekends of this month: today through Sunday (March 3-4-5) and next weekend (March 10-11-12). Showtime for Fridays and Saturdays is 8 p.m., and there are Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. The venue is the American Legion Post 210 at 44 Taylor St. in Saugus. Tickets purchased at the door are $22-$24. Tickets purchased in advance are $19-$21, online at TCSaugus. org/tickets. “The Comedy of Errors” is a farce about two sets of identical twins who were separated in a shipwreck shortly after birth. Now adults, Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant, Dromio of Syracuse, arrive in the town of Ephesus, which happens to be where their long-lost twins, Antipholus of Ephesus and Dromio of Ephesus, live. When the Syracusan twins encounter the friends and families of their siblings, a series of mishaps based on mistaken identity result in wrongful beatings, a near-seduction, the arrest of the Ephesian twins and false accusations of infidelity, theft, madness and demonic possession. Eventually it all gets sorted out! TCS is pleased to have Waltham resident Francine Davis as the director of the show and a troupe of talented actors from all over the North Shore of Massachusetts. TCS welcomes some performers new to the group: Reading resident Bryan Deroo as Antipholus of Syracuse, Ryan Marchant from ArlingKaycee Wilson as Luciana is tempted by Bryan Deroo as Antipholus of Syracuse in William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” at the Theatre Company of Saugus. (Courtesy Photo to The Saugus Advocate by Larry Segel) ton as Antipholus of Ephesus, Amanda Flicop of Malden as Adriana, David Lee Vincent of Newburyport as the Duke and Balthazar, Roland “Boot” Boutwell of Winchester as Egeon and Dr. Pinch, Shelove Duperior of Malden as the Courtesan, Olga Karasik-Updike of Newbury as the Foreign Merchant, Amanda Doucette of Billerica as Nell, and Jack Wickwire of Waltham as the Headsman. TCS welcomes some returning veterans of its stage to the show: Billy Jenkins of Stoneham as Dromio of Ephesus, Vi Patch of Wakefield as Dromio of Syracuse, John Leonard of Andover as the Map Seller and the Officer, Kaycee Renee Wilson of Brighton as Luciana, Kathy Rapino of Saugus as the Abbess, Larry Segel of Winthrop as Angelo, and Jeff Bliss of Natick as the Jailer. Lauren Lyon of Natick is the stage manager. The performance space is not wheelchair accessible, but it does feature a bar serving alcoholic and soft drinks. Snacks and raffle tickets are available for purchase before the show and during intermission. Masks are required indoors for the safety of the audience and cast. For more information, see the Theatre Company of Saugus website at TCSaugus.org. COVID Safety Policy Update: Although policies about wearing masks have been loosening up in many places, in theaters we still must ensure the safety of our patrons, members, actors and crew, by minimizing the risk of contagion. The TCS home at the Saugus American Legion is not large and social distancing is not possible. Therefore, we will continue to require our audience to wear masks inside (unless actively eating or drinking), although we are no longer asking the audience for proof of vaccination at the door. All the cast members of our shows are vaccinated, will be masked during rehearsals and will be tested prior to performances. About the Theatre Company of Saugus: TCS, which was founded in 1968, is the community theatre serving Saugus, Mass., and surrounding towns. In most years we present four shows, including plays and musicals, and a summer youth theatre workshop. In May 2022 TCS presentBryan Deroo as Antipholus of Syracuse threatens to beat Billy Jenkins as Dromio of Ephesus in William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” at the Theatre Company of Saugus. (Courtesy Photo to The Saugus Advocate by Larry Segel) ed the musical “Spring Awakening” to sold-out audiences. It received the EMACT DASH award for Best Choreography and was nominated for 10 other awards. Our production of “Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe,” which was presented in October & November 2019, was the recipient of EMACT DASH Outstanding Achievement Awards for a Musical in almost every possible category, including Best Show, Direction, Musical Direction, Choreography and Ensemble Cast. Our production of “James and the Giant Peach” in February 2020 also garnered two awards: Youth Actor in a Play and a Consultant Choice Award for Excellence in Original Music. The TCS Summer Youth Theatre Workshop has produced a number of “junior” musicals, including “Willy Wonka Jr.,” “The Addams Family: young@ part,” “The Little Mermaid, Jr.,” “Elf, Jr.,” “Getting to Know... Once Upon a Mattress,” “Honk! Jr.” and “Seussical Jr.” The cast of William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” at the Theatre Company of Saugus, pictured from left to right: in front: Amanda Doucette, Olga Karasik-Updike, Kathy Rapino, Vi Patch, Kaycee Wilson, Amanda Flicop; in rear: Billy Jenkins, “Boot” Boutwell, Ryan Marchant, Bryan Deroo, Shelove Duperior, Larry Segel, John Leonard and David Vincent. (Courtesy Photo to The Saugus Advocate by Francine Davis)
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