A GLASS HIVE, AKA THE COMEDY OF ERRORS by William Shakespeare, adapted by Bruce Dow. Annex Theatre. July 2 at noon, July 4 at 5 pm, July 6 at 11 pm, July 7 at 7 pm, July 8 at 1:45 pm, July 10 at 3:30 pm. Buy tickets. Rating: NNN
Bruce Dow’s adaptation seeks to uncover the serious side of Shakespeare’s early farce. His best idea is to use dozens of mirrors to emphasize the theme of identity in this tale of two sets of long-lost identical twins.
More problematic is adding Death itself as a character who plays small roles and interjects unnecessary remarks about death drawn from many sources – from other plays by Shakespeare to Robert Frost and Jean Cocteau.
As the plot’s complexity increases, the less Dow gives Death to do and the more superfluous Death’s presence becomes.
The performances of the fourth-year Randolph Academy students are enthusiastic but uneven.