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Arts & Entertainment

Stamford's Michael Limone Takes Time Offstage to Direct 'Comedy of Errors'

Stamford-based actor, teacher and director discusses the inspiration behind his version of "The Comedy of Errors."

William Shakespeare’s farcical tale of mistaken identities and wild misadventures took to the stage Friday evening with Curtain Call's eighth annual free outdoor Shakespeare on the Green presentation of The Comedy of Errors. Performances continue until Saturday, July 16, on the great lawn at Sterling Farms in Stamford. But, for the first time the yearly production isn’t being directed by Associate Artistic Director Peter Barbieri, Jr. Taking the helm will be Michael Limone.

Limone’s first brush with the stage came while he was growing up in Stamford and attending the city’s public schools. “The first real piece of theater that I did was in 9th grade,” Limone recalls. “I did the musical Little Mary Sunshine, and played Corporal Billy, and that was it. I was in love with the theater.”

Limone received his training in the theater at the University of Connecticut and then returned to the city to head up Stamford High School’s theater arts program for 11 years. While he was there, the high school received a corporate grant that enabled Limone to transform the program into a performing arts academy. He now runs the theatre program at Rye High School where he directs four productions a year and produces three others.

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In addition to his academic work, Limone has directed shows at local community theaters, including Cabaret in Ridgefield and Beyond Therapy in Norwalk. “This is my first “official” directing gig for Curtain Call,” he explains. “Almost ten years ago I directed a production of The Shadow Box (1977 Tony award and Pultizer Prize Winning drama by Michael Chistofer) here in the Dressing Room Theater, but as my own project.” Local audiences, however, are the most familiar with Limone’s appearances as an actor.

Patch: You’ve turned up on Curtain Call’s stages fairly often, playing roles as varied as Pontious Pilate in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar and Sam the pickle man in the romantic comedy Crossing Delancey. And just this season you were in the farce Noises Off. Does all of that acting experience find its way into your directing?

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Limone: Yes. I love to perform. But, one of the reasons that I keep doing it is that I find it really helps me as a director and an acting teacher. Every role that I take on brings me up against the problems that other actors face. I use personal experience all the time as examples when I’m teaching my kids.

Patch: You appeared last summer as Malcolm in the Shakespeare on the Green production of Macbeth. How did you end up directing The Comedy of Errors?

Limone: When Peter and I were building the set for Macbeth, he was talking about some of the roles in Shakespeare that he’d like to play. I mentioned that, if he ever wanted to do one of the shows, I’d be happy to direct so that he could be in it. He said that he might take me up on it.  So, the plan was for me to assist him this year. But, Peter’s personal life got complicated – he’s planning his wedding – so he asked me to step in.

Patch: Have you directed Shakespeare before?

Limone: Just once. I directed a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Stamford High. And, oddly enough, after I graduated from college I played Demetrius in a production of Midsummer in Bushnell Park up in Hartford with the Capital Classics Theatre Company.

Patch: The Comedy of Errors is classic farce. And earlier this year you were in a farce that’s also become something of a classic, Noises Off. Do you have a particular affinity for that kind of material?

Limone: Comedy is hard enough as it is. Farce takes it a step further into this insane world that you have to create. But, I think it get it. It’s fun.

Patch: Why have you moved The Comedy of Errors to the 1920s?

Limone: The play has a time setting problem. So, any approach to it has to deal with it. And that opens the door for reinterpretation. Shakespeare took a lot of liberties when he wrote The Comedy of Errors. He borrowed most of the story from Plautus’s The Brother’s Menaechmus, which takes place in ancient Greece. So, that’s where Shakespeare set it. But, there are references to Christianity. One of the characters is an Abbess and the play ends at a Priory. But, there are also slaves. We set it in the twenties so the slaves can become the lackeys of big gangster bosses and have to do whatever they’re told to do. It was a convenient place to make the text work. We capitalize on farcical elements from that era by adding elements of the Marx Brothers and the Keystone Cops.

The Comedy of Errors will be performed on Curtain Call's own version of the Globe Theatre stage July 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15 and 16. The park opens to patrons at 6:00 pm each day for pre-show picnicking. Admission is free but contributions are gratefully accepted.

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