The Comedy of Errors
By William Shakespeare
25th Annual FREE Classic Series
Made possible by a grant from the City of Coronado
July 16 – August 8, 2021
Streaming on-demand
Directed by Dennis Floyd
Set in the city of Ephesus, The Comedy of Errors is about the farcical misadventures of two sets of identical twins. Egeon, a Syracusan merchant, had twin sons both named Antipholus. At their birth, he bought another pair of newborn twins, both named Dromio, as their servants. In a shipwreck, Egeon lost his wife, one of his sons, and one of the Dromios.
Egeon’s remaining son, Antipholus of Syracuse, and his servant, Dromio of Syracuse, later come to Ephesus, where—unknown to them—is the home of their lost twins. The new visitors are confused when local residents seem to know them. A series of wild mishaps based on mistaken identities lead to farcical and fantastic misunderstandings.
When the four twins come together, all is finally resolved. And in one final twist, their long-separated parents reunite as well.
The Comedy of Errors was first performed in 1594, and was probably written the year before, during the plague of 1592-93. Due to our current “plague”, we are now subject to new limits of social distancing and quarantining which add to the mishaps and the frustrations experienced by the characters in this production. Humor stems from their foibles as they navigate the necessary restrictions in a way that will seem all-too-familiar.
The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare’s early plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humor coming from slapstick, mistaken identity, puns and word play.
“We came into the world like brother and brother,
And now let’s go hand in hand, not one before another.”
William Shakespeare
Cast Bios:
JESSEAL AMELIA (Luce, First Merchant) is delighted to be making her debut with Coronado Playhouse. She has studied at the Los Angeles Independent Shakespeare Co. and has done several onstage Shakespearean works as Phoebe in As You Like It, Ophelia in Hamlet and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing. Other roles include: ensemble cast of I Got Troubles at the Crown City Theatre and Whoopsie Doopsie at the Zju Theatre in Los Angeles. In film, she recently finished wrapping a feature film slated to premiere in the Sundance Film Festival.
CHRIS BRADEN (Dr. Pinch, Second Merchant) is so happy to be performing onstage for the first time in over a year. This is his second performance with Coronado Playhouse, the first being Much Ado About Nothing(Balthazar). Chris has performed in various theatres around San Diego and is proud to work with such an amazing cast. Thank you for your support of the arts and enjoy the show!
ANNIE BUCHHEIT (pronounced BOO-kite, like a ghost kite – oOoOoOoh) (Angelo) is proud to make her post-pandemic return to theatre (and her Coronado Playhouse debut!) a classic. Pre-pandemic, she played other classic roles such as Auntie Em in The Wizard of Oz and Emily Webb in Our Town (both with Patio Playhouse), for which she won an Aubrey Award. She spent most of the last year learning improv comedy and focusing on her writing, including at least 42 one-act plays, a 10-minute audio play, a short film screenplay and 2 full length plays.
RUSSELL CLEMENTS (Dromio of Ephesus) is excited and thankful to be back in the theater! Recent credits include Constellations (Roland)(CPH), The Winter’s Tale (Autolycus)(CPH), The Old Man and the Old Moon (Matheson)(CPH), Bullshot Crummond (Character Actor)(OnStage Playhouse), Magic In This Soul (Achmed/Paige)(Blindspot Collective), Failure: A Love Story (John N)(PLNU Salomon Theater), Macbeth (Banquo)(CPH), Baskerville (Actor 1) (Scripps Ranch Theater), Much Ado About Nothing (Oatcake)(CPH), Untold (Pepper/Robert)(Blindspot Collective), The 39 Steps (Clown)(CPH), Know More! (Derek)(Know More) and many others. Phil 4:4
JIM COULON (Officer) is delighted to be part of his first production at Coronado Playhouse, after a forty-year hiatus from the theater. Elsewhere: Lysander in A Midsummer’s Night Dream and Hotspur in King Henry IV Part 1 (The American Theater of Paris), The Birthday Party (The American University of Paris Theater) and You Can’t Take It with You (San Diego State University Theatre).
KRISTEN DENINE (Luciana) is so delighted to be back for her second show at Coronado Playhouse after playing Second Lady and Dorcas in The Winter’s Tale. She is so grateful to be back working with actors again in person and is excited to create theater again in the San Diego County community. Her previous credits elsewhere include Macbeth (Trinity Theater Company), Fuddy Meers (Trinity Theater Company) and Allegory (La Jolla Playhouse WOW Festival). She would like to thank her family for their constant support.
JULIA GIOLZETTI (Dromio of Syracuse) is returning to CPH in her fourth production. Credits include NYC’s Off-Broadway company of Drunk Shakespeare; San Diego: Return Engagements (Scripps Ranch Theatre), Plays By Young Writers (Old Globe). She has also performed in an immersive experience for the Amazon TV show The Expanse as part of Comic-Con 2019. She previously served as Dramaturg for Romeo & Juliet (PowPAC). Last year, Julia created Sofa Shakespeare, a global project where anyone can perform 1 minute of Shakespeare from home. She is the proud mother of 3-year-old Rosalind and 2-month-old Cameron. BFA: NYU. www.JuliaGiolzetti.com
JENA JOYCE (Emilia/Balthasar) is happy to finally get to perform on a stage for CPH, even if it’s not the actualCPH stage! Jena performed earlier this year in CPH’s Zoom production of cul-de-sac, and had been just about to debut as Charlotte Hay in Moon Over Buffalo back in March 2020 when the whole world shut down. Jena performed at several area theaters back in 1985-87 as a recent graduate of Princeton University’s Program in Theater & Dance, including CPH where she was part of the “Play-by-Play” educational series. Jena is grateful to be part of this wonderful cast and production team and looks forward to returning to live theater soon.
STEVEN JENSEN (Egeon) is back for his sixth Coronado Playhouse “classic” (after Romeo and Juliet, Tartuffe, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing and The Winter’s Tale). More than twenty other CPH plays and concerts include Spamalot, Mamma Mia!, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Guys and Dolls, The Importance of Being Earnest and Little Shop of Horrors. Many plays elsewhere, including Julius Caesar (New Village Arts), Man of La Mancha (Oceanside), Edward II (Diversionary), The Tempest (Poor Players), She Loves Me (Lamplighters), The Gondoliers (Lyric Opera SD) and Who Am I This Time?(Vanguard).
EDDY LUKOVIC (Antipholus of Syracuse) is a San Diego resident and proud graduate of UC-Santa Barbara. He studied dramatic arts at San Diego City College and completed advanced Suzuki/Viewpoints training with Siti Company out of New York City. He is also on the executive board at OnStage Playhouse. Recent local appearances include The Nerd (Trinity Theater, 2019) and Treasure Island (Pickwick Players, 2019). This is his first production with Coronado Playhouse. He would like to thank his family and friends for their love & support.
SUTHESHNA MANI (Adriana) is excited to be back at Coronado Playhouse after performing as Kyra in Bare: a pop opera in 2019. Other favorite credits include American Idiot (Extraordinary Girl) at OB Playhouse, Hall Pass (Olivia/Collette) with Blindspot Collective and Chasing Fear: a staged reading (Voska) at Cygnet Theatre. In her spare time, she loves to sing, dance, make jewelry, get active and write on her blog, suthecreates.com!
ROBIN THOMPSON (Antipholus of Ephesus) is grateful to return to the stage after a long and difficult year and wishes a prosperous recovery for all. This will be his debut at Coronado Playhouse and his first professional Shakespeare (though he dabbled in high school). Robin is usually seen in North County, in roles such as Sherlock Holmes in Baskerville (Scripps Ranch Theater), Paul in Barefoot in the Park (Star Theatre), Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre and Gillette in The Game’s Afoot, the latter of which he also directed (413 Project at The Grand Tea Room).
TANNER VYDOS (Solinas, Duke of Ephesus), from Oceanside, is making his Coronado Playhouse debut and is very grateful to be performing for the community once again. He has been featured in productions with New Village Arts, San Diego Musical Theatre, The Welk Resort and many other companies in San Diego. Come see him in Taming of the Shrew at the Bailey Winery in Temecula from Aug. 5th-28th.
ANTHONY ZELIG (Courtezan, Producer) returned to performing last year, after a 25-year absence, as Miss Agatha Trunchbull in Coronado Playhouse’s Matilda. In the 90s, Anthony appeared in several New Hampshire Shakespeare Festival productions, including As You Like It (Duke Fred), Twelfth Night (Duke Orsino) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Oberon) – the latter two performed unrehearsed. His favorite Shakespeare role was Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing at theatre school. He is excited to be working with this amazing cast and production team and is grateful to Dennis for the opportunity to once again remove body hair and don a bra for CPH.
Creative Team:
DENNIS FLOYD (Director) is proud to make his Coronado Playhouse debut directing this brilliant cast, supported by this exceptional (and flexible) production team. (His original debut would have been designing Richard III but, you know: Covid.) Elsewhere he has directed, designed or appeared in Nuts (PowPAC)(Aubrey Nominated), Romeo & Juliet (Pickwick Players/PowPAC), Treasure Island (Pickwick Players), God of Carnage(Lamplighters), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (El Camino College) and The Miracle Worker(Kentwood Players). He is deeply grateful for the love and support of his long-suffering wife, Pamela.
HUNTER BROWN (Assistant Director, Fight Choreographer) is pleased as punch to be working again with Coronado Playhouse. Past directing credits include She Kills Monsters, Love Bites: A New Rock Musical andJake Misco: Paranormal Investigator. They would like to thank Doniella Mae Sebastian.
ALI FLORES (Stage Manager) is very excited to be making her Coronado Playhouse stage managing debut. Past stage managing credits include Every Christmas Story Ever Told And Then Some (2018), Little Women (2019) and Fun Home (2020), all at Patio Playhouse. Elsewhere: Boeing Boeing (CSUSM Theatre 2019) and High School Musical (Carlsbad Community Theatre 2019).
STAN SOTH (Set Designer) can barely believe that it has been very nearly a decade since Coronado Playhouse welcomed him, as a new retiree from the Health Care field, into their family to learn to design and build sets and props. Most recently, he has earned credit for designing and building sets for; Little Shop of Horrors, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (co-designed with his granddaughter, Lillian Soth), Guys and Dolls, Moon Over Buffalo and Harlem Duet. He wishes to thank his patient and loving wife, Shirley, for encouraging his theater involvement and all of the enormously talented men and women who have helped him develop many skills he never even suspected he had and then, made him look so good with their excellent and loving guidance.
ZEPHYR LANDIE (Lighting Designer) is excited to be working with Coronado Playhouse for the first time. He previously did the lighting design for Monumental History (2021) at OnStage Playhouse, God of Carnage (2020) at Lamplighters and The Jacksonian (2019) as a student at Mesa College Theatre Company. He has also done sound design for Treasure Island (2019) with Pickwick Players and Peter and the Starcatcher (2018) as a student at Mesa College Theatre Company.
WILLIAM RICKMAN (Co-Properties Designer) is honored to be part of Coronado Playhouse for the first time as theater returns to a patiently waiting public. Prior productions include Disney’s Freaky Friday-the Musical(2020), A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play (2019), Treasure Island (2019), Disney’s Aladdin Jr. (2019), Footloose: The Musical (2019) and It’s a Wonderful Life-A Live Radio Drama (2018) for Pickwick Players. Other productions include A Hillbilly Shack and a Couple of Nuns by Jill Costanzo (2018) and A Christmas Carol: A Classic Radio Play (2016) for the La Jolla Theatre Ensemble.
MARC AKIYAMA (Sound Designer, Film Production) is a composer for film and theatre, and the co-founder of Akiyama Music, a film scoring and production studio. Marc is the Resident Sound Designer for Trinity Theatre Company and Coronado Playhouse. He scores a wide array of films from animation to original musicals, including Brush with Disney Animator, Garrett Lewis, while spanning multiple genres from jazz to orchestral. Marc co-hosts The Song to Screen Podcast, which explores storytelling techniques of film and theatre music. He and his brother produce creative content for their studio including original films and tutorial videos. Visit AkiyamaMusic.com for more.
LANDON AKIYAMA (Film Production) is a born and raised California-based photographer and videographer. He’s photographed everything from portraits, couples and weddings to corporate events and concerts. When he isn’t behind the camera, Landon is a lyricist, composer, and guitarist. He co-founded Akiyama Music, a film scoring studio whose recent work on Brush has been nominated for several film festival awards around the country. Landon also works as the Development Coordinator at La Jolla Music Society.
Press images by Landon Akiyama
Tickets Pricing:
Coronado Playhouse can offer the Free Classics Series free to the public because of a grant from the City of Coronado.
This year’s Free Classic is available via streaming on-demand only. Link to stream production will be available here on July 16th.
For questions, call the Box Office (619) 435-4856 or email boxoffice@coronadoplayhouse.com
There are no events scheduled for this production.
Please join us as we raise money for Coronado Playhouse during our free classic series production.
Part of Coronado Playhouse’s mission is to give back to the community. For each show, we partner up with a local non-profit to raise awareness and funds in support of their work. For our free classic, we need to focus on raising funds for the Playhouse, as tickets sales during the year only cover a portion of our annual expenses.
In order to maintain the high standard our audiences have come to expect from us, we depend on your donations to meet our bottom line.
Please check back for details on our fundraising efforts.
Community Theatre is made by, with and for the community in which it is performed. Coronado Playhouse is committed to pursuing community theatre in the truest sense of the words by giving back to the people of San Diego County and Coronado and using our public platform to help those in need.
Thank you for joining us for this free programming. Please consider giving back to CPH and those we reach by donating.
Get Social with Us: