By Angela Griffin
New World Shakespeare Company’s production of Much Ado About Nothing at WTC’s Black Box in Salt Lake City, UT is a modern and extremely relevant adaptation of the Bard’s beloved comedy. First published and performed in 1623, Much Ado About Nothing tells a humorous tale of unlikely romance and wit while calling into question the deeper issues of gender roles and equality. Accordingly, New World Shakespeare Company is donating funds from the show towards Utah Women’s Giving Circle.
Much Ado About Nothing follows two love stories. The first is between Claudio and Hero, the beautiful daughter of Leonato. The second, and perhaps better known of the play, is between Benedick and Beatrice, Hero’s cousin. Both Beatrice and Benedick despise the idea of marriage nearly as much as they despise each other, and so the other characters hatch a plot to play Cupid and dupe the two quarrelling characters to fall in love. However, the villainous Don John, the bastard brother of Don Pedro, seeks to wreak misery and misfortune by ruining the marriage of Claudio and Hero.
Beatrice and Benedick are masterfully portrayed by Allison Froh and Jeff Stinson. Froh and Stinson have electric chemistry, and their verbal daggers fly as quickly and easily from their tongues as if they had written the play themselves. Stinsonis incredibly charismatic, and his transition from stubborn bachelor to loyal and lovesick companion is beautifully executed. Whether she’s professing wit or woe, crouching covertly behind the set’s potted plants or dancing merrily in the center, Frohsteals the hearts and attention of both those onstage and off.
Eli Unruh does an excellent job portraying the hot-blooded Claudio, switching seamlessly between alternating fits of love, anger, and remorse. Though Hero’s role at the start of the play is almost completely silent, Jenn Waterhouse makes the character her own, giving her a presence and charming personality that only grows as Hero’s part in the plot does as well. Jeffrey Owen embodies the noble Don Pedro with his confident and determined bearing. I have seen several productions of Much Ado About Nothing, and Elise C. Barnett Curran’s portrayal of Don John may be my favorite yet. Slinking and stalking about the stage in sunglasses and heels, Curran’s every word drips with disdain and villainy. Together with Bryce Kamryn as Borachio and Sierra Trinchet as Conrad (Trinchetalso plays the benevolent friar), the three form a truly evil, though entertaining, trio of villains. As Beatrice and Benedick’s witty exchanges begin to wane in the play’s second half, Conor Thompson steps up to provide hilarious comic relief in the dual roles of both Dogberry and Verges. From his head to his Crocs, Thompsonacts with such enjoyment and energy that the Bard should have written a separate play just for the character’s adventures as absent-minded (but earnest!) head of the Watch. Tom Maggio (Leonato), Cami Rozanas (Margaret), and T.J. Hartman (Balthasar) all endear the audience with their attempts to bring justice and love to both couples’ relationships.
The actors all have wonderful chemistry, and it was a treat to watch them interact, even when they were not center-stage: Conrad and Borachio sharing drinks; Beatrice whispering and joking with Hero; Don John’s aloof and almost angsty melancholy. The Black Box is a more intimate setting, with little room for backdrops and props; however, rather than appearing sparse, the limited props chosen by set designers Sierra Trinchet and David Bruner provide just enough context to accentuate the actors’ performance while allowing the audience to focus on the drama. Most of the music (also chosen by Bold) has an upbeat, almost hoe-down feel, and goes well with the light-hearted banter that prevails in the play. David Bruner, technical director and lighting design expert, does an excellent job setting the mood for the play; he also makes a brief cameo as the sexton. Audiences will enjoy the fitting and quirky costumes worn by the cast (keep an eye out for sock puppets and Chinese finger traps), all of which were designed by the cast and crew themselves. The whole production is brought together under the direction of Trinchet in an engaging and remarkably relevant fashion.
New World Shakespeare Company’s Much Ado About Nothing is as entertaining and applicable in our day as it was in Shakespeare’s. Its discussion of gender roles and equality provoke thoughtful discussion in a modern context, while the charisma and passion of the actors is sure to captivate and delight audiences. While nothing portrayed on stage is inappropriate for children, the comedy does have more than a few sexual innuendos, so I would encourage parents to leave their younger children at home. However, New World Shakespeare Company’s production at Salt Lake City’s Black Box runs through September 14, so come see what all the “ado” is about!
New World Shakespeare Company presents Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
WTC at the Gateway, 124 South 400 W Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
September 5-7, 12-14, 2019, 7:30 PM, September 8 3:00 PM
Tickets: $15-20
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