North Salem Audience Chuckles at Errors

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. -- All the world may be a stage, but this weekend there was a splendid stage right here at the Hammond Museum, where Connecticut’s theater group, Curtain Call Inc., presented Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors.

Though the weather was murky Friday evening, an audience of nearly 100 people turned out. Some brought blankets and picnic baskets. Deb and Angelo D’Agostino of North Salem brought some homemade wine and a bowlful of peaches from their own tree. 

“This is one of our favorite summertime North Salem events,” said Deb. “We come every year. Angelo arranges the evening.”

The D’Agostinos had six guests, including Mary Ellen Acosta, of Mahopac, and Amy Walker, of Brewster. “We performed here on World Tai Chi Day,” said Acosta. “I’d never been to the museum before. Angelo told us about the play.”

Lorraine Laken, director of the Hammond, said, “Shakespeare on the lawn has become an annual event here. This is our sixth or seventh year.”

The performance had a cast not of thousands, but certainly of a few dozen, all dressed in creative and amusing costumes. The action, on a platform stage on the lawn, was lively and articulate, and spilled over into the audience, as entrances and exits were often made through the center aisle. Theatrical lighting enhanced an already beautiful tree-canopied setting. A hearty curtain call expressed the audience’s appreciation of the evening’s entertainment.

Said Angelo D’Agostino, “What’s better to do on a summer evening?”

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