The gun slinging of the Wild West will be mixed with the words of William Shakespeare when the show “A Comedy of Errors” opens Thursday.
Senior Brian Berrens, who plays Antipholus of Syracuse, said he supports guest director Beate Pettigrew’s decision to set the Shakespearean play in the Wild West.
“As a general rule I never like to take Shakespeare out of the period, but on the other hand, I do like the concept Beate has,” he said. “It makes sense to me, and I’ve bought into it.”
Pettigrew said she’s pleased with how rehearsals have gone thus far.
“Rehearsals have been really great,” she said. “The actors have brought a lot of personality to the characters. Sometimes we have so much fun that we don’t even know when rehearsal starts.”
Freshman Justin Whittaker, who plays the first merchant and Balthazar, said rehearsals have been long but productive.
“I think we’re definitely where we need to be for sure,” he said. “Beate has been a lot of help as far as helping us analyze what we’re saying.”
Pettigrew said interpreting Shakespeare’s language has been difficult for some actors.
“It’s a foreign language that actors have to learn,” she said. “For many actors it’s difficult to do Shakespeare because they think they have to do it just right. You have to own the language and own the period, and that’s the biggest challenge.”
Pettigrew said Berrens has definitely displayed his senior leadership skills.
“Brian is just really a gem,” she said. “He’s taken a leadership role with the cast and has taken it upon himself to set the bar and be a role model. He carries the weight of the text, and I hope the underclassmen are watching that.”
Berrens said he is nervous and anxious about the upcoming performance.
“No matter how many shows I do, I always get nervous,” he said. “The more I do shows, the more it really hits me right before I go out for the opening performance.”
Whittaker said he’s looking forward to the performance.
“I’m pretty excited,” he said. “It’s always fun to work with talented people.”
He said the Wild West theme also adds to the enjoyment of working on the show.
“It’s a little bit odd, but it’s fun to do,” he said. “It’s fun for us because it’s something different.”
Pettigrew said she’s looking forward to seeing what kind of performance the actors can come up with.
“I’m really excited for the cast,” she said. “I’m anxious to see what happens. It belongs to the actors, and it’s their job to take ownership of the play.”
“A Comedy of Errors” opens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Rice Auditorium.