“Friendship is constant in all other things, Save in the office and affairs of love.”
Love is in the air; but some may need a little meddling, I mean “help,” from their friends to realize it. As for the audience, it is easy to feel the love in Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s Much Ado About Nothing. Playing under the open sky and in the ruins at the PFI Historic Park in Ellicott City now through July 24th, CSC’s rendition of Much Ado will show you why this piece is considered to be one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies.
However, this isn’t your high school’s rendition of Much Ado. In fact several thematic liberties have been taken with the piece. This particular production is set in the French countryside just after the liberation of Western Europe in 1944 with many of our characters portraying members of the Allied Forces. According to the show’s Director Séamus Miller, “It’s set in a time when everyone has just gone through something traumatic and is learning how to come together again and relate to one another again, which I’m certain our audiences will identify with after the last couple of years,” and the execution of this choice makes for a perfect setting for Much Ado.
With music direction by Grace Srinivasan, the majority of music choices sprinkled throughout the production reflect the popular music of the time with renditions of classics like “La vie en Rose” and “I Love Paris.” These songs not only make for an enjoyable transition from scene to scene, but also help cement the environment of the set and allow for the players to contribute to more moments of joy throughout the production. One creative moment that I found especially appropriate to the overall heart of this particular production was changing Balthazar’s song “Sigh No More” to the Dubliners’ “Don’t Get Married Girls.” While the direct message of the two songs may differ, the overall theme of the message is similar enough, and the change paired well with the modernizing of the time period used.
But it’s not just the setting and environment that has some artistic adjustments that work beautifully. Several characters have been gender flipped to allow for more female characters on stage, and I thought these choices were superb. Don John and Leonato became Madame Jean and Leonata (respectively), and felt so natural in Miller’s retelling, it was as if this was the way the characters were always designed.
The choice to change Leonato’s character from the father of our heroine, Hero (Kate Forton), to her mother, Leonata, was especially strong. The natural actions of Molly Moores’ portrayal of Leonata makes it easy for those familiar with Much Ado to forget that the original piece has the character as a father; and those who may be new to Much Ado to never be the wiser. Moores excels at portraying the matriarch to our heroines and exudes a wonderful chemistry with Don Pedro (Ryan Tumulty) that is played so effortlessly it feels as if it was meant to always be written this way.
Madame Jean, played by Emily Erickson, was another strong choice played fantastically by a very strong actor. While Erickson’s portrayal of Madame Jean was masterfully depicted with a wonderful mix of comedy and villainy, the choice to have her be the only character with a Russian accent was a bit confusing. It was clear that she and her comrades dressed in Russian military uniforms and were meant to portray members of the Russian Forces, however the choice to not have her companions also at least attempt a Russian accent was at times odd. That’s not to say anything should be taken away from Erickson’s performance, as she performed the accent well and it played fabulously into her overall character choices onstage; it was merely odd that she was the only one with the accent.
But let’s hear it for the boys! Ryan Tumulty was the perfect choice for Don Pedro. From the moment he enters the theatre, Tumulty takes charge and simultaneously radiates an aura of Prince, commander, patriarch, and friend. He is able to play the perfect blend of the jovial approachable compatriot, and the regal bearing of an in-charge commander.
Dylan Arredondo’s portrayal of Benedick was masterful in his ability to balance the ‘Prince’s jester’ with reluctant lover, and the scene where Claudio and Pedro lead a (not well) hidden Benedick into thinking Beatrice is in love with him shines as a beautiful moment of blocking, phrasing, and comedic timing on Arredondo’s part to have the audience in stitches. Likewise, Jordan Brown captures the nature of our young Claudio perfectly as he wonderfully encapsulates both the dreamy nature of young love and the visceral loathing of a young lover scorned (or so he thinks). And when the three of them are together on stage? Chef’s kiss. The chemistry and comradery between these three men is the essence of enjoyment. Several of their shared scenes are so masterfully blocked and acted, they steal the show.
But let’s not forget everyone’s favorite willful niece, Beatrice. Played by Anna DiGiovanni, she is able to nail the headstrong and witty nature of Beatrice while also hitting the emotional lows of grief, concern, and anger borne from love… she also makes a fabulous faux statue too! DiGiovanni has a knack for comedic timing and phrasing that pairs so beautifully with Arredondo’s Benedick, you’ll be rooting them on in their journey of love.
Have you ever considered bringing your children to a Shakespeare production? Well, Sunday Family Fundays are perfect for the younger ones with story-time explaining the plot of Much Ado About Nothing, face-painting, and crafts like mask making and coloring which will start at 4:30 p.m. before each 6 p.m. Sunday performance. Much Ado is a family-friendly show, and tickets are free for children 18 and younger, up to two free tickets per adult ticket purchased by reservation. But be sure to get there early because one aspect about Family Funday that you could enjoy no matter what your age is the endearing pre-show puppet show that explains the plot of the play. Narrated by the Education Director, Ron Heneghan, and puppeteered by two wonderful interns, the puppet show is perfect to familiarize young and old alike to the general plot of the play; with many laughs to boot!
Unfortunately, I cannot speak much on the lighting design of the production as I saw the 6:00pm Sunday performance which had spectacular natural lighting (way to go The Sun!). But the set, designed by Dan O’Brian, was perfect in its simplicity and form to allow for flawless function and dynamic leveling. Similarly, the sound from the stage carries well, and the typical audience member should be able to hear the dialogue well wherever they sit. If you consider yourself to be more naturally hard-of-hearing, I would recommend finding a seat closer to the stage, but I was seated in the back, and other than a few moments where actors lowered their volume for more intimate dialogue, I was able to hear without issue.
Enjoyable from pre-show to curtain-call, Much Ado aims to share the joy and the laughs surrounding those who make much ado about nothing and hits the mark every time!
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission
Much Ado About Nothing plays through Sunday July 24th, 2022 with Chesapeake Shakespeare Company at the PFI Historic Park in Ellicott City, MD. Tickets can be purchased online or by phone at 410.244.8570
