The Comedy of Errors@Rochester, NY

SHAKE returns with the Bard's physical comedy romp about mistaken twin identity filled with hijinks and hilarity.
About this Event

Set in the port town of Ephesus, The Comedy of Errors tells the story of two sets of identical twins who were accidentally separated at birth. Antipholus of Syracuse and his butler, Dromio of Syracuse, arrive at Ephesus, which, unknown to them, turns out to be the home of their twin brothers, Antipholus of Ephesus and his butler, Dromio of Ephesus. When the Syracusans encounter the friends and families of their twins, a series of wild mishaps based on mistaken identities lead to wrongful beatings, a near-seduction, the arrest of Antipholus of Ephesus, and false accusations of infidelity, theft, madness, and demonic possession. Using the tropes of commedia clowning, slapstick physical comedy, punnery and puppetry, Shake takes you on wild, fast-paced, romp that proves why the play's title has entered the popular English lexicon as an idiom for "an event or series of events made ridiculous by the number of errors that were made throughout."

In 2013, The Comedy of Errors was first full-length Shakespeare production Shake ever staged, becoming the blueprint for the company's signature fast, fun, and physical style, where 5 actors play 15 parts in a slapstick farce of mistaken identity and shenanigans. Featuring returning Shake cast members, Matt Duncan, Tim Cooper, McKenzie Gordon, Madeleine Dauer, and Ladarius Jamerson, get ready to get ridiculous this summer, with Shake's 2026 production of The Comedy of Errors.

In case of inclement weather, the show will be moved to Asbury First United Methodist Church Gathering Hall at 1050 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607.

*This performance will be ASL-interpreted.

*Support for Shake on the Lake is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional support by the Arts Council for Wyoming County, GOArt, The Mary Conable & Norman Gayford Charitable Fund, and the Conable Family Foundation, The Gullo Family Foundation, the Ralph C. Wilson Arts & Cultural Initiative, the Wyoming Foundation, all administered through the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.