Early in his career, William Shakespeare knew how to make Elizabethan theater audiences laugh — and his humor still works. The Comedy of Errors, about two sets of identical twins, separated at birth and unknown to one another, could be considered one of the first sitcoms. Cincy Shakes gives this staging a carnival setting in a fanciful seaside resort in the early 1930s. You’ll see boater hats, bathing beauties, parasols and classic carnies — a gypsy fortune teller, a bearded lady, a strong man, sword swallowers and more — adding up to a riot of entertainment.
Through Dec. 13. $14-$36. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, 719 Race St., Downtown, 513-381-2273, cincyshakes.com.
