Not Standup: A Comedy of Errors

Do you have plans this Thursday, Friday, or Saturday? If not, you do now: the Hanover High School Footlighters are putting on a show! A classic Shakespearean comedy about mistaken identity: A Comedy of Errors is at 7 p.m. on November 4th, 5th, and 6th in the HHS auditorium. The play is about a teenage boy who doesn’t know he has a long-lost identical twin. The twin interacts with townsfolk, who are unaware of the difference; chaos and comical mistakes ensue. A highlight of the show is a conflict involving two characters striking each other with fish. 

Tessa Cullen, a sophomore, has one of the lead roles as Antipholus of Ephesus, one sibling in a set of twins. Tessa has been acting since a young age and has been in shows including Frozen and Midsummer Night’s Dream at Northern Stage, as well as the HHS shows Godspell and Twelfth Night. Eli Cowie, a senior and longtime Footlighter, plays her counterpart. 

          The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the theater department. Kai Doron, a senior and member of the Footlighters, was quarantined just a week before the final shows of Twelfth Night last year. Tessa had to learn all of his lines, in addition to the ones for her other roles at the time; she was double-casted during performances. In addition to Kai, crew member Layne Kull was quarantined, delaying creation of the set.

 During the winter of 2020, a live Zoom play was produced by Footlighters because of concerns about in-person performance. It was called This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing. The sets were large pieces of paper that allowed for different scenes to be  raised behind the actors and seen on screen. 

  Masks will be used by actors during auditorium performances, however, no other COVID-19 restrictions have been imposed this fall. 

             Isabel Taxman is the production stage manager this year. She has had to deal with several challenges, including “the original set being scrapped” due to the stage director having to leave midway through the build of the set, and programming a “lightboard from the ’90s.” This is the instrument that controls all the lighting for the production. Taxman said that she is “incredibly proud of our actors and tech” and that the Footlighters have “come together to create a really great show.” I hope you consider attending this amazing student-lead production!

 Tessa Cullen (’24)                         Isabel Taxman (’24)