Press-Citizen Review

Flood doesn't stop good production
DEANNA TRUMAN • JUNE 17, 2008
Iowa City Press-Citizen

Despite several curve balls, Riverside Theatre pulled off opening night of its Shakespeare Festival on June 13 with plenty of laughs. Floodwaters forced the company to move opening weekend of "Comedy of Errors" to City High's Opstad Auditorium. The festival traditionally takes place at the Riverside Theatre festival stage in City Park.

The company only had a few days to switch gears. What really came through Friday was their desire to tell a good story.

Normally, opening night of the festival is close to if not sold out, leading to an audience of 400 plus. On Friday night, the audience was closer to 100 people.
Despite several empty seats, actors were on top of their game, performing as if the auditorium was packed.

A bonus is that this opening show, "Comedy of Errors," is full of laughs; something the community really needs right now.

In fact, the show is thought to be one of Shakespeare's funniest. It centers on two sets of identical twins, with identical names, who are separated during a shipwreck and appear 25 years later in Ephesus.

Both pairs of twins: Aaron Graham (Dromio of Ephesus) and Martin Andrews (Dromio of Syracuse) and Tim Budd (Antipholus of Ephesus) and Dennis Fox (Antipholus of Syracuse) did a superb job.

Ron Clark, production manager, has said: "When you are doing the classics, your job is to make them accessible."

Not only did Riverside manage to make "Comedy of Errors" accessible, but they also managed to make it quite entertaining.

At the end of the evening, Clark graciously thanked audience members for "knowing the festival is open."

While the festival will not take place under the sky, at least not for many weeks still, actors proved June 13 that it is not the open outdoors that makes the event, but professional actors who give their all to bring a different world to life.

Fourteen professional actors and eight interns traveled from as far away as California and New York to take part in the event. Come and see them before they're gone.

The festival needs just as much support at City High as at City Park.
Yes, there is an awful lot going all, but then we all need to laugh, too.

Reach Deanna Truman at 339-7360 or dtruman@press-citizen.com.
IF YOU GO
• What: Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festival.
• When: Runs through July 13. "The Comedy of Errors" opened Friday. "The Winter's Tale" opens at 8 p.m. Friday. The plays run in rotary.
• Where: The festival normally takes place at the Riverside Theatre Festival Stage in Lower City Park. However, due to flooding, the festival currently is taking place in City High's Opstad Auditorium.
• Cost: $25 to $37 for adults, $21 to $30 for senior citizens and students, $17 for student rush, $15 for youth, $17 all-age weekday rush Wednesdays and Thursdays (cannot be pre-ordered). Group discounts are available.
• Information: Call 338-7672.