VPA back on stage with the first show of the season

WASILLA — This weekend is the final showing for Valley Performing Arts Center’s rendition of William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors,” signaling the return to live performances after a long hiatus due to the pandemic.

“This season is mostly comedy. The best way to get people back out of the COVID darkness is to let them laugh. Let them enjoy something creative. Let’s show them some comedy. Let’s show them a good time,” VPA Executive Director, Garry Forrester said.

Forester said they had to cancel their production of “Noises Off” last March and haven’t had any shows until now.

“People have been excited that live theater is coming back. It’s been a draught now for 18 months not being able to do anything,” Forrester said.

Longtime VPA member Wendy Golter is directing the season opener, relishing the chance to get back to what she and so many others love to do.

“I feel like it’s a victory to be at this point and to have a good product,” Golter said.

According to Golter, this is the first Shakespeare play VPA has put on in many years, so she’s particularly thrilled to be a part of such a fun and unique opportunity.

“It’s a really exciting thing we haven’t done for a long time,” Golter said. “There’s some challenges but everyone’s just really gung ho. Everybody’s ready for the opportunity to do this as a community again, to be able to tell stories. This is a good play for that. It’s just a fun, light-hearted silliness that it needs to be right now.”

“The Comedy of Errors” is Set in the city of Ephesus and follows the comedic misadventures of two sets of identical twins featuring a full world of verbose humor and physical comedy scenes.

Golter has participated in numerous roles with VPA over the years and directed several productions. She said this play is unlike anything she’s directed before and overjoyed with how it turned out, lavishing how effective her actors have been conveying the comedic cavalcade of chuckle-inducing puns, and “slapstick” style humor to the audience.

“We’ve got some really excellent delivery. I’m just very impressed with the level of acting that Shakespeare calls for and Valley actors stepped up to and delivered,” Golter said.

For more information about “The Comedy of Errors” or other upcoming VPA productions this season, call 907-373-0195 or visit valleyperformingarts.org.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com