Bomb-itty of Errors demonstrates that Shakespeare raps.
Levi Wright
Starting Friday, The Bomb-itty of Errors will hit Riverside Theater, 213 N. Gilbert St., a comedic send-up of A Comedy of Errors. The modern adaptation blends classic Shakespeare with hip-hop culture, dubbing itself an “ad-RAP-tation” to attract both a new and veteran audience.
“[Putting modern takes on plays] makes them super-accessible,” said Chris Walbert (Dromio of Syracuse and four other roles). “I think it is the reason they’re trying to push these kind of works around now, because when *Rome Sweet Rome* came out, the reception it got from people who don’t usually go to musicals was really supportive.”
Riverside just finished the classic Shakespearean play Macbeth and is now ready to perform something a little more modern. Bomb-itty of Errors takes the classic Comedy of Errors and turns it on its head as actors rap their lines and beloved songs instead of talking through them.
“It’s kind of a throwback vibe with ’90s hip-hop and 2000s,” said Zach Twardowski (Antipholus of Ephesus and five other roles). “I think there’s also this thing with spectacle, especially with this show seeing four guys and a DJ do all the characters and be done in 90 minutes is kind of, ‘You did that, it’s crazy.’ It’s kind of a marathon sort of thing.”
Although this is one of Shakespeare’s shortest plays, each cast member stays active, switching roles and costumes. It becomes a balance in which they have to not only know what to say but to know what their character hasn’t learned yet. The whole time, they engage the audience, blending the borders and actually making audience members feel as if they are a part of the play.
“I think the style actively tries to not break the fourth wall but move beyond it,” Walbert said. “There is a lot of audience interaction. I don’t think this show is effective keeping that wall up. It is very much a communion for the people there to see Bomb-itty.”
Bomb-itty and Macbeth are both Shakespeare plays, and Macbeth is a classic tragedy that thrives because of the drama, murder, and conspiracy. Bomb-itty is a modern retelling of Shakespeare and succeeds because of slapstick comedy, bad puns, and, maybe, men playing women.
“To some extent, [Bomb-itty] follows right with the tradition of great Shakespeare comedies,” said Postell Pringle, the director of Bomb-itty. “All great Shakespeare comedies are mistaken-identity plays. That then creates this zaniness from people thinking that other people are something else. The conflict and confusion comes from mistaken identity. That said, it gets ratcheted up to 10 when it’s all hip-hop beats and in a more contemporary language and a more contemporary setting.”
With each of the four actors playing at least four different roles, it is astounding that they are able to keep their roles separate, find an identity, and build those characters up. In the rehearsal, it was obvious the time that went into each character. One of the actors, Felipe Carrasco played Luciana, putting on a hilarious performance, not to mention a believable one.
“It’s way more than just the rapping,” Carrasco said. “To honor those characters and to make them full as real people I think is one thing that we’ve been doing. This has really excited me, and it’s been a challenge, but it’s important to me.”
