The Public Theater announced the return of the theater’s acclaimed Mobile Unit with a free touring production of “The Comedy of Errors,” including shows in the Bronx on May 5 and May 7. The new bilingual adaptation by Rebecca Martínez and Julián Mesri of Shakespeare’s classic comedy will include music in both English and Spanish, inspired by musical styles across Latin America.
The May 5 outdoor performance will start at 3 p.m. at the School of Mathematics, Science and Technology through the Arts, and the May 7 outdoor show will be at the Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center at 1 p.m.
In partnership with New York City’s Department of Parks & Recreation and Department of Transportation (DOT), as well as other key Mobile Unit partners, “The Comedy of Errors” will pop up both outside and indoors at public plazas, parks and community centers across the five boroughs from May 2 through May 21 as part of the theater’s commitment to bringing free theater to all and deepening its engagement with communities around NYC. Following the tour, a free engagement of “The Comedy of Errors” will run in The Public’s Shiva Theater from May 25 through June 11.
Mobile Unit’s free tours bring Shakespeare and other works to audiences who have limited or no access to the arts, traditionally by visiting correctional facilities, homeless shelters, social service organizations and other community organizations. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Mobile Unit has expanded its tour locations to primarily outdoor venues, returning to long-standing partners and visiting new locations around the five boroughs. Mobile Unit continues its relationships with NYC’s Parks and DOT, and local community groups to bring this hybrid indoor-outdoor tour to accessible spaces around the city.
“The Comedy of Errors” is conceived by Martínez and Mesri — a member of The Public’s 2022-2023 Emerging Writers Group. This new adaptation rigorously embraces music from all over Latin America in this tale of separation and joyous reunion. With songs in English and Spanish, this new musical adaptation brings an energetic vibe to this age-old tale of two sets of twins separated by stormy seas as they overcome a baffling case of mistaken identity — and the mayhem and hilarious confusion that follows.
“Rebecca Martínez and Julián Mesri have masterfully adapted Shakespeare’s ‘The Comedy of Errors,’ injecting it with warmth and energy that you will find infectious as you tap your toes and hum new songs that feel amazingly recognizable yet entirely new,” said Freedome Bradley-Ballentine, the associate artistic director and director of artistic programs. “They have embraced one of Joe Papp’s core values — accessibility — by creating a bilingual version that invites everyone into the joyous world they’ve created. This exceptional ‘Comedy of Errors’ is firmly in a long lineage of plays from The Public (Theater) that freshly embrace the form. You must experience this event, whether in your community or at The Public (Theater).”
The cast of “The Comedy of Errors” will include Varín Ayala, Danaya Esperanza, Rebecca Jimenez, Keren Lugo, Alan Mendez, Sara Ornelas, Gían Pérez, Joel Perez and Desireé Rodriguez.
“Working with Rebecca Martínez and Julián Mesri is a gift,” said Interim Mobile Unit Director Praycious Wilson-Gay. “With the help of Shakespeare’s ingenuity, Rebecca’s exemplary vision and Julián’s resonant music, ‘The Comedy of Errors’ is an amusing and witty story of mistaken identity and family separation. I am elated to be in community with Mobile Unit’s new and inveterate partners sharing this modern reimagining of a classic story.”
For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
