The Acting Company And The Gurthie Present THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

The Acting Company (TAC), in association with the Guthrie Theater, continues its 28-city national tour, stopping at the Guthrie Theater this month for the premiere of Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors. The production, directed by TAC Associate Artistic Director Ian Belknap, opened January 12 on the McGuire Proscenium Stage and will play in repertory with Romeo and Juliet through January 30.

The 2010-11 tour season launched on October 22, 2010 with a limited run of Romeo and Juliet at New York's Pace University, where the company concludes its 28-city tour with an April 4 - 17 New York run of The Comedy of Errors.

Both productions again showcase the talents of young performers from the ranks of both organizations, including graduates of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program, as well as alumni of The Acting Company. The 2010-11 tour company includes Kaliswa Brewster (Amelia/Juliet), Ray Chapman (Egeon/Friar Laurence), Elizabeth Grullon (Courtesan/Peter), Whitney Hudson (Adriana/Lady Capulet), Jonathan C. Kaplan (Antipholus of Syracuse/Lord Capulet), Jason McDowell-Green (Antipholus of Ephesus/Lord Montague), Stephen Pilkington (Dromio of Ephesus/Abraham), Alejandro Rodriguez (Jailer/Officer/Balthazar/Romeo), Benjamin Rosenbaum (Second Merchant/Tybalt), John Skelley (Dromio of Syracuse/Benvolio), Jamie Smithson (Duke/Pinch/Nell/Luce/Paris), Sid Solomon (First Merchant/Angelo/Mercutio/Prince) and Elizabeth Stahlmann (Luciana/Nurse).

The Comedy of Errors, one of Shakespeare's earliest plays, is also his shortest and one of his most farcical - a major part of the humor derived from slapstick, puns and wordplay. The story of two sets of identical twins accidentally separated at birth involves a series of wild mishaps based on mistaken identities leading to wrongful attacks, a near-seduction, an arrest and accusations of infidelity, theft, madness and demonic possession. Shakespeare sets all this action in one day and features a theme that recurs throughout his work: blending tragic situations with comedic resolutions and introducing slapstick to wide appeal. TAC Associate Artistic Director Ian Belknap will direct the production, whose creative team also includes Neil Patel (Set Design), Michael Chybowski (Lighting Design), Candice Donnelly (Costume Design), Felix Ivanoff (Choreography) and Andrew Wade (Voice and Speech Consultant).

Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare's iconic romantic tragedy, returns for a second consecutive tour season and will again be directed by Penny Metropulos, formerly of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. As innocent young star-crossed lovers fall victim to family hatred and cruel destiny, swords clash, everlasting love is promised and a treacherous sleeping potion is swallowed in the greatest love story of all time. Evoking the lyricism of Shakespeare's sonnets, Romeo and Juliet exquisitely embodies the brief joy of teenage passion and ecstasy, while their families' mutual disdain and prejudice lead to revenge and an irreversible fate. The creative team for Romeo and Juliet includes Neil Patel (Set Design), Michael Chybowski (Lighting Design), Mathew J. LeFebvre (Costume Design), Victor Zupanc (Music Composition), Scott W. Edwards (Sound Design), Felix Ivanoff (Fight Direction), Marcela Lorca (Choreography), ElizaBeth Smith (Voice and Speech Consultant) and Dakin Matthews (Dramaturg).

The company is also joined on tour by Jesse Jou (Staff Repertory Director), Karen Parlato (Stage Manager) and Meaghan Rosenberger (Assistant Stage Manager).

For a complete tour itinerary, visit www.theactingcompany.org.

The GUTHRIE THEATER (Joe Dowling, Director) was founded by Sir Tyrone Guthrie in 1963 and is an American center for theater performance, production, education and professional training. The Tony Award-winning Guthrie Theater is dedicated to producing the great works of dramatic literature, developing the work of contemporary playwrights and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. With annual attendance of nearly 500,000 people, the Guthrie Theater presents a mix of classic plays and contemporary work on its three stages. Under the artistic leadership of Joe Dowling since 1995, the Guthrie continues to set a national standard for excellence in theatrical production and performance. In 2006, the Guthrie opened its new home on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, the Guthrie Theater houses three state-of-the-art stages, production facilities, classrooms and dramatic public lobbies. www.guthrietheater.org

The Acting Company was founded in 1972 by Margot Harley and legendary producer and actor John Houseman with Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone and others in the first graduating class of Juilliard's Drama Division. Since then it has performed 131 plays to audiences in 48 states and 10 foreign countries. In addition to Kline and LuPone, its alumni include Frances Conroy, Jeffrey Wright, Harriet Harris, Jesse L. Martin, David Ogden Stiers, Richard Ooms, Richard Iglewski, Keith David and Rainn Wilson. The Acting Company was honored in 2003 with a Tony Award for Excellence in Theater.

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