While I was preparing for the summer heat by shopping for lighter clothes, Kate Smith, artistic director of a Company of Fools (aka “the Fools”), was getting ready for their next show. She called me while I was in the Rideau Centre and pitched an idea: “Would you have any interest in being an embedded critic?”
The Fools is Ottawa’s oldest Shakespeare company, performing since 1990. As an artistic leader in the community, Kate has been championing a healthier critical ecosystem — one that sees criticism not as a final judgment, but part of an ongoing conversation.
“Embedded criticism,” a coin termed by critic Andrew Haydon, invites a writer into rooms typically reserved for artists. They sit in on rehearsals and witness decisions being made in real time. The hope is that the writing provides deeper insight into the creative work. It’s less about evaluating, and more about documenting, bridging the gap between artists and audience.
Suffice it to say, I was interested. A few hours after her call, I was sitting in Kate’s living room for The Comedy of Errors’ first read-through.
I’d recently read Aisling Murphy’s embedded writing on Surge Theatre’s The Exhale. Her piece, alongside work by Karen Fricker, Andy Horwitz, and others, offers a base for folks like me who are new to the approach. I shared Aisling’s piece with Kate as an example of what I’d be aiming for, and she in turn shared it with the cast and creative team.
The practice is new to both Kate and me, so we established terms of engagement regarding how my role would function within the larger team. I had permission to attend any rehearsal, as long as she had time to give a heads-up to the cast and creative team and introduce me when I arrived. My schedule only allowed me to attend the first read-through and two final rehearsals. I offered to write two pieces: one about my time in rehearsals and one after I’d seen the production as a member of the audience.
I contacted the Intermission team about my writing appearing on their website, to which they agreed. Kate and Caity Smyck, general manager for the Fools, sent me a document to sign. And, full disclosure: the Fools is paying me a small fee for my work.
Like Aisling, I use first names to acknowledge the proximity I had to the artists. Using last names is common practice in theatre reviews where there can be more objectivity, but doesn’t really make sense in embedded writing.
With expectations set and terms established, we were ready to begin.
Press START to Play
The Comedy of Errors is one of Shakespeare’s least-produced and shortest plays. It follows two sets of identical twins, separated at birth and now unknowingly reunited in the same city. The law forbids citizens from Syracuse and Ephesus from crossing the border, and doing so is punishable by death. Chaos ensues: arrests, furious spouses, mistaken identity.
It’s a lighter choice, after the Fools’ recent Hamlet (2023) and Macbeth (2024). This production, directed by Patrick Gauthier (who is also Kate’s husband), runs until August 16 in parks across Ottawa.
It also features an all-encompassing Super Mario Bros. design. The team took a full plunge into the popular video game franchise, using its iconic Mushroom Kingdom imagery to help tell the Bard’s tale.
At this first read, Kate introduced me and explained my involvement. The energy shifted when the word “critic” was mentioned, but I tried to smooth it over: “I’m just here for the good vibes.”
Any awkwardness faded once the reading began. A sense of safety emerged — actors took risks, stumbled over text, and laughed at each other’s cleverness.
Maryse Fernandes (Luciana and Angelo) made us cackle with their over-the-top voices. Drew Moore (Antipholus of Syracuse) delivered Shakespeare’s verse with a contemporary sound, hilariously verging into “surfer bro” territory.
Composer David daCosta was tapping his leg, likely hearing the music he had written in his head but hadn’t yet introduced to the others. Set and props designer Andrea Steinwand laughed at stage directions added by Patrick, knowing they’d require some creative problem-solving.
I understood the commercial appeal of Mario but wondered what the concept would add to the story. Since we didn’t have time to speak in person, I raised this question to Patrick in an email later on. He replied with a 16-minute long voice recording.
Part of the draw to Mario was its popular iconography, he explained. “Even if you don’t play the games, or haven’t in 30 years, you’ll recognize the silhouettes and colours. When you’re able to colour code the characters red and green, it’s easy for an audience member to see that the red Mario matches the red Toad and the green Luigi matches the green Toad.”
There are barriers to grasping Shakespearean language to begin with, and in a park, the audience can’t depend on the acoustics and equipment of an indoor theatre. But the Fools have many tools in their toolkit that can help, which became clear as I observed the group at work.
Down the warp pipe
I attended my first rehearsal three months later, a few days out from the opening. Andrea’s set was largely assembled, with a rotating structure representing both a Toad House and Bowser’s Castle. They and their crew also built the iconic green warp pipes: transportation devices used by Mario and his friends.
Vanessa Imeson’s costumes were hanging to the side. While recognizably Mario-esque, they’re also consistent with several past Fools shows: bright colours, Converse shoes, and a whole lot of tulle. Jacqui du Toit wears the Peach outfit as Adriana, wife to Antipholus of Ephesus, and throws on a white jacket and horns as the Bowser-inspired Duke. There’s a Mario costume for Mark Kreder’s Antipholus of Ephesus, a Luigi for Drew’s Antipholus of Syracuse, and Toads for Erin Eldershaw and Laura Del Papa’s Dromios.
The actors began practising the opening montage, a wordless, high-energy summary of the plot. It’s a physical version of a musical’s “overture,” where the orchestra previews excerpts from the show’s songs. The sequence is one of those clarifying tools, which Patrick had expanded on in his recording.
“There are a lot of moments, especially in this play, where things happen offstage, and they’re referenced in a line [from the play],” he said. “And often in an outdoor setting, because of distractions, it’s easy enough for an audience member to misalign. In [such a] setting it’s even more important, instead of relying on text, to rely on visuals.”
A multiplayer experience
During my first rehearsal visit, Kate shared that she’s proud of what the Fools offers their actors. It’s a relatively lengthy acting contract, and members often return for future productions. She also told me the cast is drama-free and deeply supportive.
I found this to be true. The team included me in their conversations about life outside: families, friends, past gigs. And I was in on some recurring jokes, like David giving notes to the cast, turning to me, and saying “write that down.” These moments helped carve out my position among the team. It was like I was handed a controller and encouraged to play along.
I’m looking forward to seeing the show in action at one of Ottawa’s many parks. I’ll be back soon with a second piece, reflecting on the show’s reception, and how my time on the inside may have coloured my perspective as an audience member.
My aim is to make the experience of seeing this show more conversational, allowing the public to peer behind the stage flats and witness the intricate work that often goes unseen.
The Comedy of Errors runs in Ottawa until August 16. More information is available here.
WRITTEN BY
Luke Brown
Luke (he/him) is a theatre artist and arts administrator based in Ottawa. After completing a master’s thesis exploring the intersection of theatre and queer theory, Luke has turned his academic curiosity into a vibrant career in arts philanthropy, championing the performing arts at the National Arts Centre Foundation as a philanthropy specialist. His creative work in Ottawa includes writing and directing Honey Dew Me at the undercurrents festival (2020) and Fresh Meat (2017), as well as directing the first production of Even Gilchrist’s Re:Construct at Ottawa Fringe (2018). Luke serves on the board of directors for the Canadian Improv Games.
LEARN MORE
