By Chance Young
As my friend Shelby and I pulled into the parking lot of the Covey Center for the Arts to attend Much Ado About Zombies, an adapted version of Shakespeare’s classic Much Ado About Nothing directed by Eric Samuelsen, I was unsure of what to expect. Being unfamiliar with the full story of Much Ado About Nothing, I was unsure what this would be. Shakespeare’s original Much Ado is a romantic comedy involving the story of Beatrice and Benedict, two headstrong, brilliant people who are duped into loving each other by their friends. They are joined by Claudio and Hero, whose young, unstable love is broken (by infection!) and then reconciled. I sat in my seat quietly hoping that the original story would not be lost amongst the gears and cogs and various pipes that sprung out as I observed the set, delighted at the idea of a steampunk setting. For those of you who are unfamiliar, steampunk is a genre of science fiction that is set in the Industrial Revolution. I was very impressed by this choice of setting, as it allowed Samuelsen to bring very modern nuances and highly original ideas to the Shakespearean text and language.
The inventive, appropriate setting, provided by Daniel James’ amazing stage design greets patrons with huge (and I mean HUGE) gears and pipes all over the stage. The set is further enhanced with the ingenious lighting design by Pam Davis. This stage is stunning.
I must commend the actors on a fantastic job in contributing to the overall idea of a steampunk zombified world. I personally enjoyed the portrayal of both Benedict by Barrett Odgen and Bronx-accented Friar Francis by Archie Chrisanto. I felt as though they were able to really capture the attention of the audience and keep us highly engaged in the idea of a steampunk zombie world without breaking the concept and idea of the Shakespearean work and language. I also enjoyed the portrayal of Hero by Emily Siwachok, especially as an Undead. Her sweetheart, Claudio, played by Carter Peterson, is a zombie almost from the beginning and his growls and his wild dance to “Cry No More” are hilarious. Ashley Lammi as the strong but loving Beatrice is stupendous.
As a whole, I feel that the cast did an excellent job of character, even when it was intermission, which helped me stay submersed in the concept of the world and the idea of the infection spreading throughout the characters as the story developed. Even between scenes, the actors stayed in character as zombies as they shuffled on and off carrying set pieces on and off.
The musical aspect of the performance greatly enhanced the overall ambiance of the piece; however, I feel that in a few areas it dragged out slightly, which sometimes drew me out of the story more than added to it. The dance numbers were great and the last number (to Wide Awake) especially was an edgy, fun close to the show.
The costume design is to be absolutely applauded, as Lisa Kuhni did a fantastic job in dressing the performers to fit the world of steampunk. The detail she provides is a delight. Everyone has their “thing”, which helps to identify who goes with who, and everyone has a rather cool, edgy look. Make up also stands out. In all theater productions, make up is important, but Ogden’s gold glittered face in Act Two certainly helps us see his transformation from dedicated bachelor to loopy lover. The zombie make up is great—not too gory, and the black light effect is amazing.
Further, as a rather small but important note, you should go to the show just to see their amazingly spooky programs. Fantastic!
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I would recommend this to anyone as it was a grand performance that I would gladly see over and over again. Well done and highly appropriate for this all Hallows Eve season.
Note: Though this show has zombies, there is no gore except for one rather bloody-faced zombie. I would recommend this show to kids maybe 11 or older if they are able to follow the Shakespearean text. The show runs about two hours, so bring children who can sit still that long. There is plenty to see, so kids who like acting will probably love this show.
Covey Center of the Arts presents Much Ado About Zombies
Written by William Shakespeare, Adapted by Becky Baker
425 W Center St, Provo, UT
Monday, October 27 -Saturday, November 1, 2014 @7:30 PM
Tickets: $16, $14
Call: 801-852-6000
http://www.provo.org/community/covey-center-for-the-arts
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