Columbia School of the Arts acting alumnus, Charles Anthony Burks, is one of the four writer/rapper/performers in "The Bomb-itty of Errors," the hip-hop, "add-RAP-tation" of William Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors." The play opened in Chicago's Royal George Cabaret Theatre in June and ran through Oct. 28.

"The Bomb-itty of Errors" Chicago followed a successful off-Broadway run, which also featured Burks, and was recently honored with the Grand Prize in the theater category at the 2001 HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. It was originally presented in 1998 at NYU's Experimental Theatre Wing where it was written as the cast's senior project.

The story traces the family history of two sets of male twins who are given to separate foster homes by their financially strapped hip-hop parents. Confusion sets in when the four boys meet up 20 years later. Because the two sets of twins are identical, wives, girlfriends, sisters, bill collectors, street hustlers, jewelers and other townspeople are all puzzled, with "outrageous results." In addition to their major roles, the four actors work at a furious pace to perform a total of 16 roles throughout the course of the play.

In Shakespearan terms, Burks plays Dromio, the servant of Antipholus. In the hip-hop rhythm, the character is better known as Droh-mee-oh, oh-ohee-oh, ee-oh, ee-oh. The group sings songs, tells jokes and recites tongue-twisting rhymes filled with pop culture references.

In addition to the modern spin on classical prose, "The Bomb-itty" is presented with original live urban beats of an onstage DJ. The music was written and performed by turntablist, beat boxer and composer, J.A.Q. On of the great things about the show, 21 year-old J.A.Q. told the Chicago Tribune, is that "we have been able to bring kids our own age into the theatre."

The Chicago Sun Times theater critic Hedy Weiss wrote, "just as Shakespeare helped to shape and animate modern English, the finest masters of rap have reinvented aspects of the language to suit the rhythms and raucousness of our own time."

Entertainment Weekly reported "the cast spins comic gold. This energetic twist on Shakespeare's 'The Comedy of Errors' is a thrill, due primarily to the jaw-dropping performances of the cast."

Charles Burks was born in Chicago and raised in Bridgeport, CT. He is a writer, professional DJ and gospel rap artist. In addition to performing in "The Bomb-itty of Errors," both in New York and Chicago, Burks has also appeared in "The Taming of the Shrew," "Cymbeline" and "Donkey Show." His film credits include: "For Love of the Game," "Riot Act" and "Luck of the Draw."