By Ashlei Thomas
There are few people that have the opportunity to visit Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, but at BYU’s production of Much Ado About Nothing you are transported to another time and place, beyond the Pardoe Theater to England itself. The style of performance is a little outside of BYU’s typical fare; the lights never go down, the actors are speaking directly to the audience and coming into the audience, as well as the proscenium that’s been transformed into a thrust performing space. However, the play and performance is enjoyable, and surprises the audience with its charm. Let the actors sweep you away to Italy and delight you with an experience unlike anything you’ve seen before at the Pardoe.
Much Ado’s tale of wit, pride, deception, and love is both classic and timeless. The main characters, Beatrice and Benedick—performed by Rebecca Leigh Wing and Preston Taylor—trade wit and insults while their friends and family plot to bring them together. Meanwhile, Hero (Justine Marie Kitteringham) and Claudio (Skyler Jamison Denfeld) fall in love only to have their love thrown off course by deception. While all ends well, the misconceptions and miscommunications will have the audience laughing and crying along with the characters.
Though physical comedy and audience interaction are not what BYU is known for, the actors captivate the onlookers with their direct address and comedic timing. Taylor in particular both dazzles with his physicality and impresses with his ease of deliverance. Every line he delivers is clearly understood by the audience. Likewise, Wing is enjoyable and captivating in her portrayal. Her depth of character lends strength to her witty and somber dialogue. Taylor and Wing’s verbal sparring is some of the best this reviewer has seen. Kitteringham’s grace and poise as Hero is beautiful, lending dignity to a character easily seen as flighty or shallow. Not to be left out is Caleb Andrus’ Don John, the villain. Andrus has a dry, almost macabre humor that he wields with impeccable precision. His brevity is a breath of air in an abundance of flowery language.
Those who have seen shows in the Pardoe Theater before will be surprised by Nat Reed’s scenic design. A wide, narrow proscenium, the Pardoe is transformed into a thrust stage, with the proscenium space becoming the backstage. While the scenery never changes (an homage to Shakespeare’s own bare bones style of performance), a balcony, pillars, and three entryways give the actors plenty of room to play as well as room for the musical instruments used for live accompaniment. The bright colors in Reed’s design complements the costume design of Elizabeth Banks. The sumptuous textures and classic Renaissance lines are charming, lending a brightness and otherworldly appeal to the show. Meanwhile, the directing of Megan Sanborn Jones gives a fresh take on a sometimes overdone piece of Shakespeare. In the words of Sanborn Jones, “The production you are seeing now is not a historical reenactment of [Much Ado]. It is, however, a recreation of the unique theatrical experience my family, I, and many of the students whose work you see here had at the Globe.”
Much Ado is a play perfect for Thanksgiving, a time where we celebrate family, remember times together with fondness, and celebrate all we’ve been given. Just like family get togethers sometimes get out of hand and then become laughable stories told years later, Much Ado is full of hearsay, hilarity, and happy endings. While younger children (and some adults) may be confused by the heightened language, do not let it deter you from enjoying BYU’s marvelous production of Much Ado About Nothing.
BYU Department of Theatre and Media Arts presents Much Ado About Nothing, written by William Shakespeare.
Brigham Young University, Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center, Pardoe Theater
800 E Campus Dr. Provo, UT 84602
Nov. 15-16, 20-23, Dec. 4-7, 2019 7:30 PM, Nov. 16, 23, Dec. 7, 2019 2:00 PM
Tickets: $11-15
BYU Arts Facebook Page
Much Ado About Nothing Facebook Event
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